Sly Cooper & The Gang In: Tournament Of Thieves
by V.I.S.I.O.N-K.I.N.G
Summary: Teen Titan Parody: Winner Take All. An unusual event takes Sly & his gang, & even his 5 Ancestors, to a strange place, where they compete to see who is the greatest thief of all times? It's a competition where it's one against all, the chance to see who is the better thief? But is all what it seems when this Master of Games has other plans in mind, & just who is he? Lets Find Out..
1. 01: Vanishing Thieves?

Author's Note: Greetings to all viewers & followers that love Sly Cooper. Are you ready to **ENVISION** something more extravagant then ever before? Well, the "King Of VISIONS" is proud to be starting this story in which, something so unbelievable, is about to happen here. You can all do and **VISUALIZE** this with all your heart, and the detail description is perfect in getting all details of our favorite characters. And for many that are pondering the thought, this story is something I thought up to take place a bit after Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time, but somewhere after Sly has been brought back home, for how it came to be….is left vacant to be explained by the game's production group. So just kick back, and enjoy what is here, it's sure to thrill your taste buds quite nicely…shall we begin now…

**Chapter 01) Vanishing Thieves?**

**Location: Paris, France**

**Present Day Time**

We now focus on some warehouse within the district that was already night time. A few barks, couple of screeching cat noises, trash cans getting knocked off, the usual 'quiet' & 'peacefulness' of good old Paris, France? Or at least within some districts where no crime is being committed? We focus on a building in question where only some lights at the top were left on, as if there was someone working late tonight? Little did we know, that upon close examination through a crack of some wooden boards, we see that the residents were not, your average bunch of warehouse employees? There were a total of three figures that were by the lit lamp over their heads while at a table. Also noted were that they were humanoid creatures that take on the appearance of animals.

First was a raccoon, has grey fur with black stripes and mask. (He also seems to have a goatee and has overall fuzzier features.) His ensemble consists of a blue-elbow-sleeved shirt with a yellow collar, blue boots, blue gloves with yellow cuffs, and a blue peasant's cap. Around his waist is a belt with the buckle shaped in the form of a raccoon symbol, plus it has a gold trim. He wears a red backpack for storing away items, keeping his calling card, and contains his paraglider for stunt usage. He also has on his left thigh, a brown pouch which also stores away a few essential things. His name, is Sly Cooper, the "Thief & Leader" type, as he's a descendant from a long line of master thieves. He's described as a cunning, devious, Thievius Raccoonus, or in how some folks general exaggerates a lot. He uses his wit, his courage, and his skills to pull off jobs, and he usually has a sarcastic remark in hand. However, he remains loyal and dedicated to his friends, and his love interest. Deep inside that demeanor he holds, it's possible he's a bit lonely, as he misses his father after he passed away and he was placed in an orphanage. But he never dwells in the past, and stays in the present, to seek for his next adventure. Over a few years & experiences, Sly has gotten older and more mature over his line of work. His primary weapon was his family's cane, which is a brown staff ending in a golden hook. Many of his ancestors also had weapons incorporating the trademark hook, and the cane has become an infamous symbol of the Cooper Gang. Sly is also very capable with his cane and is a powerful opponent in a fight, repeatedly being shown beating opponents much larger and better equipped than himself. Years of training and natural ability passed down through the Cooper bloodline has given Sly vast agility, balance, and reflexes, allowing him to perform feats that few can equal. In addition, he has learned every ability detailed in the Thievius Raccoonus, including balancing on the tops of sharp points, rope and pole climbing, invisibility, swinging on hooks, and running on wires. His skills include parkour, gymnastics, pickpocketing, safecracking, mastery of disguise, time manipulation, and others.

And with Sly were two members of his Cooper Gang.

One was an anthropomorphic turtle, seem like a small guy to Sly's height, even being confined to a wheelchair. He wears besides his glasses and gloves, a pith helmet and a bulletproof vest, along with a grey button-up shirt underneath his vest. His wheelchair has been modified with robotic arms and boosters. His name was Bentley, he's the "Brains" of the Cooper Gang, with an IQ of at least 140, devising their plans and assisting the gang through them. His personality has grown over many courses, more confident and relax, even quite confident in his abilities when using his wheelchair to the fullest extent. Sometimes, he can be very devious after all the years when the turtle took out some guards. He's even had a confidence peak up to representing independence and ability to get over any obstacle. Bentley's greatest and most primary ability is his intelligence. He proves this through by planning ever master operation. He is also extremely skilled with technology, upgrading his wheelchair with various weapons and gadgets as well as inventing numerous devices. He also utilizes a large variety of bombs with different effects.

The last one was an anthropomorphic hippopotamus, seems the biggest guy within the gang, who's strong, muscular but slightly round hippopotamus. His signature color is magenta, often mistaken for pink. He wears a blue T-shirt that looks a bit too small for him, and a light blue scarf to go with his driver motif and no pants. He dons a maroon mask over his head and matching fighting gloves over his hands when donning his persona in battle. He wears thick rim glasses….although they could also be goggles or perhaps a strange hybrid of the two, as goggles would certainly go with his driver motif. His name was Murray, the "Brawn" of the Cooper Gang, who serves as the getaway driver and tough guy and fighter for his pals. He's quite large and has an enormous appetite, he's unbelievably strong, and arguably is also the most battle ready of the gang. Although he is generally a very nice guy, he can show that he has quite a bit of repressed anger. He is seen a few times as a comic relief character, his love for masked wrestling, and learning that he can put up a fight in the field, made him discover his strength. Murray still is a child deep down inside, mainly due to his unstable behavior, and despite his incredible strength and his bold personality, he can show often, the first person to cry in any situation. He's also extremely determined and loyal, and refuses to give up on his associates at any cost. His determination is so strong, that he shows extreme compassion and heart. He possesses his own abilities, one of his abilities, probably the most important, is his incredible strength and power. His most famous ability he called, '_The Thunder Flop_', a massive belly flop that sends out a shock wave destroying anything around Murray, as he admits it's dangerous even when he uses it. Most of Murray's abilities center on his strength, brute force, etc., but others involve fire such as his '_Fist Of Flames_' where he claps his hands together, causing them to ignite with fire to add a burning effect to his punches. Otherwise, Murray serves as the Team Getaway-Driver, Strong-Man, Back-Up, as well as a Thug/Enforcer. He's also a Mechanic, given the time and effort he puts into the care of the Team Van, and given his taste for destruction and tendency to "break stuff", he can be considered a sabotage expert or arsonist. But unlike his pals; Sly & Bentley, Murray doesn't have the "finesse" or "precision" to pickpocket guards without them noticing, so he resorts to mugging: punching them, picking them up, and shaking them to loosen any coins or valuables they hold in their pockets.

And now with all the members of the Cooper Gang revealed, their eyes seem to keep close watch on the other's movement?

"Alright Sly, this time, I got ya for sure! The MURRAY, is about to Bring-You-DOOOOWN!" Murray spoke with a serious and boastful tone in his voice, almost ready to actually take on his best pal?

"I'm always looking to see how well you perform, pal of mine?" Sly spoke off with that 'sly tone' of his, being calm, but seem interested in what his pal can do against him.

"Flattery will get you no where here, bud? So make your move, cause then afterwards…." Murray spoke off in not being fooled by Sly's trickery speech patterns. "Crack-Crack…." He was then cracking his knuckles, and flexing his neck, as if getting seriously ready here? "I'll unleash the _Thunder Flop_ all over you!" He pointed to actually say he's gonna 'bring it on' his close friend, this seems 'serious' now.

"If you mean dropping the "A-Bomb", I think I got something better?" Sly stated out from using his cane to swipe something up to catch it in his hand, having a plan to defeat the hippo.

"Hugh?" Murray responded clueless, what was the sneaky raccoon plotting or what his words mean by that?

"BAM!" Then the screen changed to above where the lamp's light was when we heard a strange 'bang' like noise be noted?

"NOOOOOAAAAauughhhhhhh!" Murray's voice was heard making a crying and agonizing wail, as his shadow appeared to clutch his gut and his head, feeling something has taken a toll on him?

What was going on here, all eyes were wondering if something had happened, what was happening within the Cooper Gang? Was this a Breakup, a Mutiny, Treachery? What? What? WHAAAAT!

"You Sunk My Battleships! All of them?" Murray's voice was heard again, this time pouting to complain about something?

And then just like that, reality finally came into the picture to clear up what 'we' believed to be happening? The Cooper Gang was playing the latest invention by Bentley to be a holographic grid-image of a video-game called: Battleship. And right now, each side of the globe image, different screens for three showed where they were positioned. And right now, Sly managed to make a score by sinking a lot of Murray's battleships…in one strike.

"Well what do you know?" Bentley spoke off amazed by that move, and asked his pal something from it? "How'd you figure out Murray's position, Sly?" This game was meant to keep others from knowing one's ships they have positioned, so how'd Sly know where Murray had his ships?

"Simple, he had them all near the amusement park on the grid map." Sly stated from pointing that on the globe map, all of Murray's target ships were near what was a location spot of an amusement park going on?

"Hay, come on! Even fighters need to keep their strength up by eating lots of popcorn, cotton candies, and fizzy drinks during these battleship times?" Murray spoke off to complain & protest himself, that it's not his fault for not wanting to give those he's got something to fuel their stomachs.

"Well next time Murray, don't try to put all your eggs in one basket?" Bentley spoke in kindly advising his muscular friend to be more careful in what he does, for better or worst.

"What eggs? What basket?" Murray asked off in not following along what Bentley was trying to say since it had more use about food in a basket?

"Never-mind?" Bentley shook his head in seeing that he needed to be a bit more specific in his words and meanings to Murray next time around. "While that was clever Sly, I think I might be able to calculate my next strike on your remaining ships?" The smart turtle exclaimed in having seen what Sly could do, but has a way to beat the raccoon…on his own.

"Like to see you try?" Sly spoke slyly at his friend while accepting that challenge. "But might be hard, I'm kinda invincible at the moment?" He held his back to lie in the chair, feeling all relax…and confident that he's got this won.

"How can you be invincible Sly, if I still got a shot at winning?" Bentley spoke in narrowing his glasses in questioning if the raccoon was so sure he won when he's still left in the game. "One last round, winner take all!" The turtle stated his challenge that it be him against Sly in their game match.

"You're on Bentley. But, don't complain to me when you go down?" Sly exclaimed from sitting up right, and soon took over near his screen to study his ships, marked areas, and the only spots left where Bentley's logo marks are last reported to have been seen; thanks to the advance 'tracking hit target system', no harmed ship can hid. "C-59 & G-37!" He issued an order to his hidden ships in question to take aim and then fired away.

"Bam-Bam!" And soon on the grid map of the globe, showed two small ships destroyed while one big ship, a grand-flag class model, still remained as Bentley's HQ.

"Wooh! Sly….you just blew almost all but one of Bentley's ships with that move?" Murray exclaimed surprised in seeing that Sly got the last of Bentley's support ships, and with the turtle's last one exposed, the raccoon is one attack away.

"Care to beat that?" Sly raised an eyebrow in making a sly comment in wanting to see his pal Bentley top him now?

"Well, alright? I may have one ship left, but I have a calculated plan for it." Bentley spoke from studying the display of what's going on, and from his cool motive changed to a smile. "V-17, B-39, and Z-01!" The turtle issued an order for his last ship to fire enough of it's ammo to launch at those locations.

"Bam-Bam-Bam!" And soon, explosions happened, but they were near cliffs that were in swallow areas where not many ships sail finely in, and knocked a few big pieces that only covered most of the ships serving under Sly.

"Um…Bentley, you missed Sly and got the wrong targets? You looked like ya barely hit his ships?" Murray asked off puzzled in seeing his turtle friend didn't have a good marksmanship with that last move.

"Just wait and see Murray, trust me." Bentley held up his hand to claim that it's all under control here.

"Alright then, all ships, fire on A-71! Fire!" Sly smiled in seeing his friend was done, and soon ordered his ships to fire on the last enemy vessel.

This looked to be the raccoon's win…or was it?

"KA-POW! KA-POW! KA-POW!" Suddenly without warning, all of Sly's three ships exploded from where they were and got totaled.

"What the…?" Sly responded off completely off-guard, what just happened? How did his ships that took no damage, blew up on their own?

"What happened? Those ships blown themselves up?" Murray asked off puzzled, this was weird, even for him to follow through?

"How'd you do that Bentley? You hardly seem like you twitted the game here?" Sly asked with a more settled emotion in having a funny feeling, his 'genius' turtle friend had something to do with his own lost of ships, but it couldn't have been cheating, now was it?

"Oh on the contrary, my friend, you see, this advance game allows one to also change of what couldn't be done, such as setting traps for one's target." Bentley smiled to hold his hands with the fingers together to tap them in sounding please with what he's done to make this game…more interesting. "I knew you take those swallow water cliffs as a stealthy way to sneak up on us, and while I destroyed the cliffs, they did land on your missile launching bay deck." He explained how he figure what Sly would do, and took in turn, to use that fact against him.

"Then, you misfired on purpose, without knowing where he hid those ships, to catch Sly off guard?" Murray spoke off shock that Bentley took such a long-shot to do something like that, what a gamble?

"Yep, and I just let my enemy beat himself, and I believe that's…check, and mate, Sly." Bentley smiled to nod before looking to Sly in feeling that he's settled the match, and won this game of Battleship Version 6.0.

"Good planning Bentley, your brain use got me good?" Sly nods with a little half-cheery expression in giving a compliment to his smart pal.

"Wooh-wooh-wooh, Sly! Aren't ya mad?" Murray came up to his raccoon pal to suddenly stop what was going on with this action? "I mean, I lost to you, you lose to Bentley? Doesn't that make you upset?" The hippo thought of the worst that Sly losing was not an everyday thing, for this to happen, would the raccoon lose it or not?

"Why would I Murray, I competed well?" Sly spoke off in feeling there was nothing to feel shameful about losing to one of his friends to a silly child's game.

"And besides Murray, winning isn't everything?" Bentley stated in reminding the hippo that winning wasn't everything to get so upset about.

"Sure, next thing you know, is that you'll lose in a situation when Carmelita Fox bust in here and says we're under arrest?" Murray rolled his eyes to make a slight rhetorical thought of what can happen next turn of an event?

"I don't think she'll do that Murray, me and Carmelita have fix our relationship after that last fiasco?" Sly spoke off in remembering the fox with a smile, he has some love interest with her, and he can tell, she feels the same.

"KLUNK-KLUNK!" Then without warning, there was a knocking on the steel door behind the gang?

"Looks like you spoke to soon Sly, as the saying goes, 'Speak of the Devil'?" Bentley yelped from feeling a tiny bit of nervous motive kicking in that if there was one person they never should get on their nerves, it's Carmelita Fox. "What did ya do to make her come after us now?" He begged out to Sly if there was something he did out of the blue to upset the Inspector?

"Nothing?" Sly spoke off at first in thinking, if this was Carmelita, nothing would mean she was here cause he did something to aggravate her…until…. "Oh, maybe it's about our date later this evening? But she should still be at work at Interpol?" The raccoon thought up of what tonight was, but he should have had plenty of time to be ready for the fox to show up, so why the early arrival?

"Or maybe its my pizza order?" Murray suddenly spoke up in stating in a calm and easy statement in what this could actually be; a pizza deliver? "All that concentration for my brain has made me hungry?" He held his belly in knowing that the game they just finished, made him famish.

"KLUNK-KLUNK, KLUNK!" The door was still making a few knockings to wanting somebody to open up already.

"Okay, I'm here!" Murray responded in just getting to and opening the steel door by sliding it. "I'll pay for my pizza-Aaaaaah!?" Murray was about to say in paying for the meal, when he made another look to get a yelp cry out in what he saw.

Suddenly entering the room to Sly and Bentley's surprise, after Murray alerted them, was someone unexpected? It was an anthropomorphic marine iguana, as he was wearing a dark green suit and a red shirt underneath. His scales were violet color, emerald eyes, and his dark-blue grease styled hair piece to make him look fabulous. When not wearing his suit, he is reasonably fatter in the stomach than originally believed. He's also learned English by listening to music videos and now mimics their speech which other folks have a difficult time understanding, as such it contains bits of street slang. This was a being called Dimitri, a former Klaw Gang member before becoming a currently member of the Cooper Gang as their "Diver", for his Scuba Diving career. He also has an enormous ego, which was only enhanced when he obtained his diving gear, and he also believes that he is irresistible to women. Dimitri is not a high level fighter like Sly himself, but he coped by moving at blinding speeds & firing energy from a ring, which if shot too much shorts out during his old Klaw Gang activity. But when he became a diver, and in the water, Dimitri shows to be a superior fighter in the water by using swift evasive maneuvers and a spear gun, with which he proves to be an excellent marksman. He also believed when Sly once stated that Dimitri has "the best fashion sense of anyone I know" and even though he was just flattering him to get information in some beginning adventure, it's most likely the truth.

"Dimitri? What brings you here?" Sly spoke off when he, Bentley and Murray stare confused to see this former evil crook gone legit and playing a straight 'good-guy's groovy role', suddenly looks like something caused him to feel….panicky?

"I'll tell you Bros. why I'm here? I'm in the deep?" Dimitri exclaimed off to hold his head in looking around, like something crazy has happened while speaking his weird speeches.

"You're broke?" Bentley asked off if he heard this guy say that by 'deep', Dimitri was deeply broke of all the money he had?

"No-no, I mean, I'm in the deep of trouble that's seriously messing with my funky-rhythmtick?" Dimitri exclaimed to wail out in losing his cool to state the dilemma he's in.

"Funky…what?" Murray asked off in completely not getting that last word at all?

"It's like this?" Dimitri patted himself in about to explain his side of the story. "First, staring in my new Reality TV Show, it's going fine in time, but then everything begins to slip and flip, and you suddenly find you no longer got what you had? You follow?" The guy was moving and groovin' to explain his story before looking to the puzzled gang if they understood where he's getting at.

"Um, kinda? Bentley…?" Sly sheepishly responded to Dimitri, but wanted his other pal to give them all a better explanation of what they are dealing with.

"I think he's saying his set was robbed?" Bentley simply pointed out a clear case of some theory from what happened to Dimitri's studio spot.

"That's what I was just telling you Bros. just now? Weren't you hearing' my mellow out?" Dimitri exclaimed in surprise that no one followed that what he said was hard to be understood?

"Sorta?...What they take?" Sly looked to the iguana in liking to know, what the thief stole from this guy?

"Hah, what didn't they swipe? It's all slips-ville man, all gone?" Dimitri remotely exclaimed like it was a joke, it was not something, or a few, but rather it all. "The BLING, the SHIMMY, all gone in a flash of bright light, which left us in the dark?" He explained that whatever was left at the studio where he do his reality show, all got taken away…by a bright light.

"Wow, that sounds serious?" Murray spoke off in finding this news hard to swallow, it's not your average day of the mill, really?

"But who would wanna steal studio stuff in front of many specters?" Bentley held his chin to ponder with a serious thought, what kinda thief takes nothing but an entire set stuff from a studio?

"Perhaps we should ask Carmelita next time she's over?" Sly pointed off a simple note, ask their police that are investigating the case, and by that, he means his girlfriend since the Cooper Gang are wanted thieves.

"Um guys, did any of you call the fire department in thinking I order the Super-Duper, Extra-Spicy Jalapeno toppings on my pizzas?" Murray asked off suddenly from looking out the window with a very confused and puzzled look when bringing up a subject that involved him eating some very hot & spicy food?

"No, why would we?" Bentley asked with a raised eyebrow in why Murray thinks they do that, especially since the guy would wanna eat a pizza that was too hot to handle?

"Cause of those flashing red lights?" Murray turned to his pals and pointed his left hand's thumb from the board window in noticing…flashing red lights that are being seen.

And then outside the very thing that was suppose to be the Cooper Gang's Safe warehouse, was getting crowded by flashing patrol cars. For these guys that came out of the vehicles were heavily armed ape mercenaries lead by Lt. Gronk. Looks like they were securing the perimeter to prevent no one from escaping or entering.

"Holly shell-case!" Bentley yelped in a cry of shocking surprise, this was not good, it was the Interpol patrol force, outside their safe warehouse?

"The boys in blue, the fuzz, the P.I…." Dimitri was speaking off with much worry in realizing, the COPS are here, and was addressing other names they were called by other folks until….

"Don't…even…finish that sentence." Spoke a sudden female voice in stopping Dimitri from finishing that sentence of his that was a bad insult to cops.

And then who should enter through the still open steel door then someone none of the Cooper Gang members could ever forget over the years of their line of work; someone from Interpol. Another anthropomorphic creature that was a vixen with brownish orange fur & eyes, a mole under her left eye, and waist-length black hair tied in a braid at shoulder level. Her ensemble includes a dark blue midriff-baring bra top that zips in the front, sports a dark blue miniskirt, and a choker which her Interpol badge hangs from. She wears a light brown leather jacket which it's sleeves are rolled up above her elbows & wears yellow gloves. A different style of boots that were brown, and she wears a lone earring on her left ear. Her name, was Inspector Carmelita 'Montoya' Fox, or just Carmelita Fox for short, is an Inspector from Interpol, who though excellent in capturing everyday criminals, she had never been successful in capturing Sly Cooper & his gang which she constantly chased. She was obsessive in her goal to capture Sly, which often elf to her venting out her frustration on her unfortunate criminal captives. Despite believing any criminal should be brought to justice, Carmelita acts justly to her captives. She is very devoted to her line of work, and must keep her emotions under control in order to keep her temper in check. Carmelita has been seen to enjoy regular day-to-day activities when off duty, such as viewing art galleries and listening to music. Although Carmelita obsesses over trying to arrest Sly, she does harbor some respect for him and more, though she can't really admit it to herself. Carmelita shows to be an excellent combatant and very capable in a fight. She has impressive acrobatic skills, capable of matching Sly in agility & speed. She also possesses great balance, given that in her chases, she always manages to prevent herself from plummeting down near fatal landings (such as near the edges of high buildings or mountain peaks). Carmelita can also leap higher altitudes than Sly to compensate her inability to climb/spire jump/rail walk and is incredibly adept at using her _Shock Pistol_. She seems to have a great deal of lower body strength, given her jumping abilities & the fact that she's shown delivering kicks that can send even the burliest of Flashlight Guards flying. She also has a strong force of will, being able to fight off hypnosis. Sly himself complimented her skills when Bentley expressed concerns for her ability to go one-on-one with a tough opponent, like Muggshot. As for her weapon in question, her _Shock Pistol_, was designed with the sole purpose of discharging ions configured into a projectile used to stun personnel. It's very potent, able to take down criminals as large & durable, though it may take up to multiple shots to subdue them and destroy inanimate objects as large as a police car. Carmelita is seen carrying it with her at all times for offensive purposes, flashing it in all directions in search of a possible target to stun; it has an attached flashlight on it that beams white light in opposition to the standard Flashlight Guard's light, which are yellow. Once more, Carmelita is also able to change her ammo type, from _Default Gun_, _Auto Fire_, _Charge Shot_ & _Triple Fire_.

"Carmelita Fox?" Sly addressed the girl he has affection for and was very surprise to see her suddenly. "What a surprise, I was planning on getting ready when Dimitri stopped by and…why are there patrol cars outside this warehouse?" He was off to asking the bigger question besides their date plans, like why was Interpol outside their Safe Warehouse area?

"If you must know, we planted a bug on one of the only remaining objects from the studio set that was missed, hoping the criminal return to retrieve it." Carmelita point-blankly explained before coming near Dimitri, and snatched something in his pocket which was some golden medallion. "However, it would seem someone 'else', took the item without knowing about the tracker?" She dryly stated to glare at Dimitri for being the center of leading Interpol from the true thief, and towards where the Cooper Gang were gathered?

"Hay-hay, cut me some slack, I thought this medallion I left well hidden for later use, could cheer up my frowny goose?" Dimitri proclaimed off to wave his hands out, then pat his chest in claiming he needed the thing to calm himself after the mysterious crime, he had no idea about the bug device set by the police?

"This is bad Sly, if Interpol finds us here and surrounded, we're off to the brig?" Bentley held his head for much worry thought, that France's law makers would find them and send them off to jail quicker then they could blink?

"Stand back, I'll plow them down!" Murray steps up to the plate, offering his muscle service to make an opening for them to get out of this mess.

"Better idea guys." Sly spoke in holding up his left hand to keep his crew under control, having another plan they can use to getaway. "We'll take our secret escape route to the Cooper Van, and split from our surprise visitors to give them the shake?" Sly knows they can use their secret escape route to reach their van to take them thieves out of the area without alerting Interpol of their whereabouts until afterwards. "Care to join, Carmelita?" He turned to smile in being kindly inviting the Inspector to join them on a nice drive-cruise across town.

"Not exactly the date I was expecting Cooper, but I better stick around to explain this mess while you flea?" Carmelita cross her arms to state out that she have to decline the offer, someone has to watch this Ringtail Cooper's back, even though she's suppose to catch him, she still has a soft spot for him.

"Thanks, you're the best?" Sly winked to the fox girl in being very glad she could help them out here.

"Yes indeed, now we'll just leave, and…." Dimitri nods in agreeing to this, and was about to follow the Cooper Gang to their escape route when…he got dragged back by the copper lady.

"Sorry Dimitri, but you caused this? So you'll have to take most of the blame." Carmelita exclaimed that this iguana caused Interpol to track him without knowing he was going for Sly for help, but brought trouble along.

"What! No way am I sitting in the slammer again, I just got out….by 'good' measures?" Dimitri protest that he was not about to be sent to prison, he got out, and was living the better life…thanks to Sly Cooper's efforts.

"Relax, you won't go to jail, but you will sign paperworks for taking something that was both evidence and bait for the crime." Carmelita stated off that Dimitri won't rot in jail, but he will have to sign off a lot of papers for taking responsibly for his careless actions.

"Wow, no matter which way one chooses, both sound horrible to take?" Bentley cringed a bit in feeling that being in jail or paperwork, both were unpleasant things to handle.

"Agreeable, that's how Carmelita does her work?" Sly nods with a slight smile in seeing his girlfriend do things by such standard workings.

"Okay guys, I've opened the hatch, so lets…." Murray spoke from opening a secret hatch under the table they were using, and was about to escape through it…or was he?

"Poof!" Then without warning, a flash of white covered the hippo and the next moment afterwards….Murray was gone?

"Murray?" Bentley looked from where his hippo friend was, it was strange, Murray usually makes a battle cry before diving down their secret route?

"Poof!" Then without another moment later, Bentley also vanished in the same light which earned the attention of the others in the room.

"Hugh, guys? Where did you go?" Sly asked from walking over to inspect the spot his two pals were, but are now nowhere to be found? "Something isn't…?" He was about to say this wasn't right, but never got the chance to?

"Poof!" For lastly, Sly Cooper was last to get covered by a flash of white light that faded afterwards….with no raccoon insight?

"Cooper?" Carmelita cried out in shock to see what has just happened here? "Bentley? Murray? Sly, where are you?" She cried out to look around, but could not see her friends or the master thief she's come to have feelings for…be gone out of nowhere?

"I don't believe it, it happened again? Only now instead of the goods, it took our crew with a flash?" Dimitri spoke off his speech of words in stating how what happened before, has now made the Cooper Gang follow in the same lead pattern.

"Dimitri, I think whatever you saw happen, and what happened to Sly Cooper and his gang….has just earn my attention." Carmelita stated with a very stern and serious face while gripping her _Shock Pistol_ by a firm tight grip hold. "In more ways then one?" She gritted her teeth in knowing whoever was behind this, they would not getaway with taking those she cares for, very lightly.

"Oh boy, Dimitri can tell, he's in for a long, long ride?" Dimitri lets off a groan for a bit to sign, he can tell this will involve him being with the inspector during this case.

Which the iguana was right, since Carmelita dragged Dimitri by his wrist, pulling him pass the other mercenaries while not stopping to be asked puzzling questions about what was going on, only to say she's got some new investigation to start working on, & file a report afterwards. Now that left the others from Interpol lost and confused, what do they do now?

"Um, anybody order Pizza Take Out?" A strange voice was heard that earn everyone to turn and see some pizza delivery boy off a scooter delivering pizzas; ordered by Murray. "I was asked to bring them here, what, did something happen?" The pizza deliver boy's question would be answered by the mercenaries of Interpol by getting some questions answered; also, because they can get 'FREE' Pizza out of this. Boy, will Murray feel sad when he finds out about this?

* * *

**Location: Feudal, Japan**

**1603 AD**

This story takes place during the 14th and 15th century. Where it was during the nighttime, as we focus on a traditional Japanese building that was…a Sushi Restaurant? Many customers were just leaving and others were just entering while the formers were giving their compliments to the chef in question? Which speaking of the chef, he peaked out from a fish feature above the building to scout below his view.

The character in question was a tan-brown fur with bare stripe tail, male raccoon with a little bit of goatee & facial fur off his side cheeks, but his coloration is reminiscent to that of raccoon dogs. He wears clothing fit for Feudal Japan, such as blue bag pants & a white long sleeve shirt with their edges reach to only the ankle/elbow body area. He wears a blue outside no-sleeve shirt on the front & back part while the sides are open for us to see the white clothing, and it's also useful to have a blue hood come over the raccoon's head for hiding his identity (though there are holes for the ears to slip through). He also wears blue ninja boot style wear, blue/red colorized gauntlets on his hands that reaches down to his elbow-sleeve part. Around his waist is a red sash belt tied in a knot on the front while it lets a piece of the cloth drag off around the left leg side, plus there is a blue sash covering over the waist line of the red, but only enough to show two colors around the person, wears a gold buckle on the front of his sash belt, also has a gold rope from his right waist over his left shoulder to hold something (possibly his cane). He even has a topknot with a red band supporting it's Japanese tradition look, & wears a blue mask over his bronze color eyes. His name, is Rioichi Cooper, who in fact, is Sly's Japanese Ancestor, & developer of the _Ninja Spire Jump_ & the _Leaping Dragon _Technique, both of which utilized highly during his thieving career. He is a ninja with great wisdom & discipline, he's calm, witty & very respectful towards others such as Sly & his gang, using honorifics when addressing them & speaking in a riddle-like fashion with Japanese proverbs. Rioichi's original technique was the _Ninja Spire Jump_ which allowed him to land on narrow spires as light as a feather; giving him the ability to infiltrate the heavily fortified castles & temples of Feudal Japan with ease. Some time later, he created an extension to this technique called the _Leaping Dragon_, by channeling his focus towards a target while on a spire, Rioichi was able to jump great distances. Rioichi is also skilled with his twin bamboo canes (which by an amazing trick, he can split his cane into two) and used them for different methods of attack. One such attack consisted of him using his canes to shoot a barrage of blue shrunken in front of him. Another similar attack consisted of him charging his canes & then slamming them down to release a shockwave. After many years of training, Rioichi had gained an unrivaled knowledge & mastery of _Ninjutsu_, the traditional Japanese technique of espionage, characterized by stealthy movement & camouflage. This allowed him to sprint without alerting anyone nearby. In addition to his thieving skills, Rioichi is also a master chef himself in being the creator of sushi. His restaurant was often considered the finest in Japan. His weapon of choice, was a Japanese shepherd's staff as his cane which had some tighter white cloth in the middle part, as well as a katana in a black stealth.

"Arigato, my fellow lovers of sushi." Rioichi gives a bow with his free hand in thanking the people that have enjoyed his meals of prepared fish. "Now, I can begin my next ninja heist of a vile shogun, taking hard working men's money from them & families. It is a dishonorable act of villainy." He leaped out to stand at the top of his restaurant, and was about to move out…. "Wait!" But then he stopped himself short, as if something earn his attention.

Suddenly, the ninja Cooper stopped to look around, his sharp eyes & wits were keeping a lookout for something…that disturbed & alerted his senses? But the longer time pass, the more it seemed like nothing was really there?

"Hmm….something is not right? It feels like an innocent creature walking in the dense forest, only to be swept at by predator?" Rioichi spoke in having a very bad feeling of what was happening around him, seemed like an unlikeable source? "I must keep my ninja awareness in tack of what to expect before….?" He was trying to remind him of being on high-alert, but was cut short of that right there and then...

"Poof!" Then without another moment, a flash of white light covered the ninja thief, and when it faded…Rioichi Cooper; was gone? This was no ninja trick of vanishing & reappearing somewhere nearby, something was clearly not right here?

* * *

**Location: Cotten Mouth Bluff**

**1884 AD**

This time, we find ourselves in the late-Nineteenth Century America, and the area of the old west. Right now, a stage couch was seen knocked down that had just been busted through with a few bits of dollar bills blowing around it? And the scene shows six black western cowboy hat bandits riding their horses right on after some 'thief' escaping by hitchhiking himself, AND the stolen loot on a runaway locomotive train?

The guy in question for causing the trouble, was a dark tan-brown fur with black stripe tail, male raccoon with some messy edge fur sticking off, and his right ear had a hole where it looked like someone shot it. He wore a long-sleeved orange shirt under his dark grayish gamboge vest and his gloves were the same color. He even wore a western tan-brown derby hat with a grayish gamboge color line in the middle, and had a tan-yellow bandanna that hung more of it's self in the front of his neck. He wore brown cowboy boots with gold design marks on the toes edge & inside front edge of the boot, plus gold spurs in the back. He also wears a brown belt with some gold mark ovals going around it, a gold buckle where the belt gets slotted in to tighten it, and a gun case holder on his right hip side; for when it comes to drawing out a gun during a showdown competition. The only other things he wears was a black mask over his gray-bronze eyes and has a toothpick in his mouth. His name was Tennessee Kid Cooper, who was also, Sly's Western Ancestor, a Western outlaw who was, the greatest of the Wild West, & inventor of his signature technique of _Rail Walk_/_Sliding_ on rails to escape capture. His greatest feat of thievery from robbing a prestigious bank which made him infamous in Cooper lore. He has an enthusiastic & confident personality & acts as comic relief at various points. Despite joking most of the time, he takes his family legacy very seriously. Some folks mention his heroic behavior towards women make them find him 'handsome & charming' by his actions. His _Rail-Walk_/_Rail Slide_ was his move method of escape during stage coach & steam engine heists. His weapon of choice, was a cane-revolver with a long barrel, six-shot with a hooked handle as his Cooper Cane. To with which he demonstrates spectacular gun-slinging skills, which are his unique ability among the Coopers. Kid Cooper can also use his gun for pickpocketing & hand-to-hand combat, when held by the barrel. Tennessee's special trademark move was the _Crackshot _Technique, with his revolver, he can target multiple objects or enemies & fire at them all with pinpoint accuracy. Without aiming, he can shoot a big bullet at any nearby enemies in front of him, he calls this one his _Cane Shot Combo_. Tennessee can aim his revolver downwards, then release a barrage of bullets around him to shoot any enemies around him, which he calls his _Bullet Barrage_.

"Give back our loot, Cooper!" One robber thug shouted out over to where Tennessee was making his escape on the train.

"Heh, gotta catch me first?" Tennessee taunted off to the blokes trying to wrestle him up for stealing what they themselves stole.

"Bang-Bang!" Soon the thugs were holding out their right hands to fire off their guns, but none of them came close to hitting a raccoon on a fast moving train, or one that's agile to dodge such sloppy shooting.

"Oh, so you wanna play 'that' game, well you boys better be faster to draw them guns then you are with your mouths?" Tennessee spoke off in seeing where this was going with a sly smile, if these guys wanna shot-out, they'll get one alright. "_**Crackshot!**_" He shouted off in preparing his signature attack to be used against these fellas that are chasing him. "Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang!" And soon, Tennessee's revolver was targeting the multiple foes and shot them with pinpointed accuracy.

"GWaaaughh?" The robber thugs fell off their horses while screaming & crying, rolled around the ground before they stopped from their fast movement.

"BLAST YOU…COOOOOPEEEERRRR!" The lead thug struggled to get up, and then yelled up to the heavens a curse against the thief that robbed them of their loot.

"Yeehaw! Time to jump off this ride and….?" Suddenly during the cheering, Tennessee was stopped when his body was beginning to glow a bit white? "Hugh, what in tarnations is going on with my glow work?" Tennessee asked off in not following what this little work was all about, but it couldn't be good was his only guess?

"Poof!" Then afterwards, a flash of bright light shrouded the raccoon before fading away, and now Tennessee Kid Cooper' was gone too? And the money he took was also taken with him for some strange reason?

* * *

**Location: Gungathal Valley**

**10,000 BC**

This area in question was more of a snowy region filled with dinosaurs that are extinct in the future, but not here in the past? Which in truth, we have entered in: The Ice Age. And near a crater, we see a mountain of what appears to be people dress in loincloth or clothing of the prehistoric area. They were all looking up at someone that presented giant eggs to the group of tribes folk.

The one in question was a tan-brown fur with dark tan-brown stripe marking on his fur while having some white under fur, as this was a male prehistoric raccoon. He only wore a caveman clothing which was a yellow with black spot cloth drape that covered his waist in front to back, and a strap cloth that reached over his right shoulder. He showed to have two fang teeth facing downwards from his mouth, light-bronze eyes, his nails from his fingers to toenails were a bit long, and he was pretty bulky in being well in shape for his muscles to handle the prehistoric times. His name was, well it's hard to pronounce his tribe name being difficult for anyone that time travels to say, but he's known as Caveman Cooper, or "Bob" as a nickname for easier addressing matters, who is really, the first known Cooper in history & is Sly's Prehistoric Ancestor. Bob was known as the greatest thief of the Ice Age, as he stole pterodactyl eggs to feed his tribe as their food provider. His weapon of choice, which he created a tool that became the first Cooper Cane; was a large wooden stick with a bone hook on the end (which that has a rough similarity to Sly's modern Cooper Cane). Bob is very friendly & likable, & was very enthusiastic about meeting Sly & his friends when they time travel, & he took a liking to Bentley's gadgets. He seems to be quite intelligent, having made the first Cooper to assist in egg stealing which was quicker & easier. Bob is seen to have a ravenous appetite, or in some ways, he can be seen as a glutton. He's also known for constantly belching at times. As expected from prehistoric being, Bob isn't the brightest when it comes to modern technology/objects (Bentley's tools, for example). He's the leader of his tribe, has great climbing & is in fighting shape, plus with his muscles & his tool in hand, can really whack anything or any foe out of his way. The other thing to know is that Bob speaks a strange language, anybody can understand him as he can understand proper english. Sometimes, the words Bob says sounds like normal words, but only garbled up, since he can probably say some folks names properly.

"(My brothers, I have brought us food to help our tribe.)" Caveman "Bob" Cooper proclaimed off in waving up his hands in declaring this news for all to hear. "(With this latest batch for the next coming change of season, we shall have enough food to supple us for the next few weeks.)" He exclaimed to his tribe, that he's gotten enough food here that they can go on for about a week or two with this next coming winter.

"ORAarugh! Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo, UHoouagh!" The tribe responded with a cheer, and wave their arms up before throwing them up before lowering them in their high-spirit moment. It was pretty much the way of how Cave People would act and behave in showing their emotions and appreciation.

Just then, some flashy white stuff was radiating off of the Caveman Cooper's body?

"(Ugh, what's this?)" Bob responded in looking at himself, never seeing this before or how he came into contact? He would have asked for more answers, but that was going to be utterly useless.

"Poof!" Then without another moment to spare, the flash of the bright white light vanished afterwards before the crowd; and Caveman "Bob" Cooper; was nowhere in sight, like magic?

"Ooooooohhh….Ahhhhhhhh….!?" The tribe responded in thinking that such a trick of their tribe leader glowing and disappearing where all things new and of wonder to them? But of course, they lack the understanding of what was truly going on if their leader was missing by unknown actions?

* * *

**Location: Medieval England**

**1301 AD**

The area this time is from 13th-14th century England by the time of a full luna moon light, within a land's swampy part of a kingdom, was a murky black forest of twigs & mist with only some lanterns lit for the walk-path. There was a sign that read 'This way through Murky Woods to reach Black Moth Mines? Danger To Ye Who Enter With Caution' was labeled on the sign. And right now, there was a large group of valiant knights that were riding their horses to prepare for a quest journey through the woods. And there was someone that was leading the knights?

This one person in question that was taking a lead of all the other knights, was a gray fur with black stripe tail, male raccoon wearing knights armor; of long gray moveable silk were the armor is on, & brown pants. He wears red garments with one being a kilt & vest with gold mark lines, a golden buckle on his waist which also held a brown belt for his pants. His armor consist of knee-pads to top foot layer, gauntlets, shoulder pads (with a chain attaching them from in front of his chest), and a helmet that had some gold line design markings, and with a golden feather off the top of the helmet that lean the back of his head. He wears a blue mask over his light-bronze eyes and he has a black goatee. His name was Sir Galleth Cooper, who is also, Sly's English Ancestor, as he was an honorable knight & cunning thief that created the Knights of the Cooper Order, and made his own move that was called the _Wall Hook_. As a knight, Sir Galleth has a bombastic & over-dramatic personality, proving to the time Sly & his gang when they saw him, that he is not as skilled as the Thievius Racoonus details him to be, & is also quite proud. Sir Galleth has even perfected the _Wall Hook_ move thanks to his elongated Lance Cane & created his own variation called, the _Catapult Crash_. However, despite his bravado & gallantry, however, Sly found that Sir Galleth isn't exactly as skilled as he depicted himself in the Thievius Raccoonus. However, Sir Galleth isn't all talk no show as he can combat a small army by himself & complete his assigned jobs quickly. However, his true problems lie in his over confidence in his abilities. But from a move not included in the Thievius Raccoonus, the _Catapult Crash_, is a variation & enhancement of the hook spring move. He can also produce a shield that can be used to ram into enemies, causing heavy damage he calls, _Shield Dash_. He can perform a powerful combo move called _Cane Combo_, and when he holds for another move long enough to release it to do a slam attack, that one is called his _Cane Landing Attack_. His weapon of choice, was a metal lance with a crook on the end and an extended apex. Even though Sir Galleth owns a sword, it's only used in some works of combat, but when used in his _Catapult Crash_ which he launches from a wall-hook & breaks through barriers in his path. It can be said, that Sir Galleth does speak a little weird at times because of his medieval accent, for anyone outside his timeline. It could be that he was possibly part of a court as his knighted preface "sir" suggests, this could have been a self given title, seeing as he had his own order of knights. Which speaking of, when he created the Knights of the Cooper Order, a group of actors which included himself, they became very popular because of Sir Galleth's dramatic nature. But in some light, it's presumed that Galleth is much stronger than he appears, given that despite his heavy metal armor, he's able to perform incredible acrobatics & throw his lance hard enough to instantly defeat guards as when he's in his stealth attack. It could be due to him training in his heavy mail armor & has simply adjusted to it, leaving questions to how strong & swift he would be without it.

"Methinks that through yonder, we'll arrive at our destine point of our quest." Sir Galleth Cooper proclaimed in notifying his thoughts that through this strange path, they'll reach their destination. "Men, suit-forth, the scoundrels have taken the mines that nay be theirs, but the kingdoms!" He got word of some thugs have taken over an old gold mine at Black Moth Mines, and are heisting it for their own self-needs.

"Huzzah!" The other knights responded in whole-hearty agreement to side with the one that has banded them; the Knights of the Cooper Order.

"Then henceforth we hither not, I besought thee, whither onward thus we claim victory!" Sir Galleth spoke in stating they won't stand ideally by, and ask a request of his men, if they have courage to go where they need to go.

"Huzzah!" The other knights cheered once again in agreeing more on Sir Galleth Cooper with all their might, all without either knowing…a little flash of light covering the raccoon until….

"Poof!" Suddenly, a flash of white light blinded them all, and when it faded; Sir Galleth Cooper was gone?

The others remained puzzled to what happened, and the only thing left was the raccoon knight's horse-prints? The others were lost if they should sally forth with their quest or wait for their leading knight? So many wondered if this was witchcraft or sorcery behind their missing knight ally? To which they think, this spells bad for whatever is going to happen to Sir Galleth Cooper?

* * *

**Location: Ancient Arabia**

**1001 AD**

We enter ourselves to a dessert city of Arabian culture to where it was already reaching sunset of the evening. And while it was getting closer to the night time, there was business opened in the center of a town. A camel was station with a sign nearby and table setting? The camel had baskets of food inside, which was very tasty for any customers that came for the person using this as a lucrative business.

This person in question that was allowing purchases of his snacks, was a purple fur with dark-violet striped tail, an elderly male raccoon in Arabian clothing wear. He wore a white long sleeve shirt with a bronze vest over it with some gold design linings, worn gold wrist cuffs off his sleeve, tied a red sash with gold center lines while it drag off his left leg side, green baggy pants with a light brilliant amaranth square patch on his left knee pad of his pant's clothing that once had a tore, & brown Arabian shoes. He also wears a white silk cloth turban on his head as a hat with a red bandana below it that dandled off the back of his head and a yellow bottom & orange top color feather with a diamond at the bottom center in front of it. He has two gold pierce earrings on both sides of his ears, light-bronze eyes without a mask to cover them, and has a long bush white mustache & beard, stating his elderly age appearance. His name was Salim Al Kupar, who in fact, was Sly's Arabian Ancestor, who was the leader of a gang of Forty Thieves, all of which soon retired, even as he was often said to hold the stealth of the Forty Thieves (a reference to Ali Baba). In his elder years, Salim is not eager to have someone informing him of how to do his job (mostly was Bentley), and reminds that person that it's him risking his life to save those around him, not that person giving him information. He seems to be confident in his abilities, but much lazier than any of the Cooper Clan members thus noted, for example whenever there is a job for him from when Sly's crew had him at their hideout, he shakes his head 'no' & points to choose another character. Plus he likes to complain about how much he hates climbing at his age & how much he hates snakes. Salim is much grumpier, & much less cheerful than other Coopers. Also, he (as well as his fellow 40 Thieves members) seem to have appetites that even rival Murray's maybe even surpass it, but unlike Murray, Salim & he's 40 Thieves members has very low body fat & seems to be very healthy. He does have some good abilities, even in his old age. Like his _Cobra Climb_, this move allows Salim to rapidly climb ropes & poles to quickly evade an attack. Then another is when Salim releases a gold storm attack with an attack called, _Magic Wind Attack_. He can perform one that he can be in the center of called, _Whirlwind Attack_, that after a while, Salim can unleash a whirlwind attack that can knock down foes. Salim also uses something as the same for Sly's Paraglider, a _Flying Carpet_ which lets him hover and slowly descend to things below him. His weapon of choice, was a stylized cane with the crook as the blade that was gold color on the latter part, & a bit on the bottom. What's an interesting note, is that when he was seen in the Thievus Raccoonus & at the Cooper Vault, where he's young, tall, and muscular. But when Sly goes time traveling to meet him, he was close to retiring, not to mention he may not be buff in his early youth because he was so young, as his descriptions in the past adventures from Sly Cooper had showed Salim having a mustache & being buff, it's possible he grew a lot of muscle & lost it in the time in between his elder years & his 20s. But that's a mysterious in itself, and this is Salim Al Kupar living out his life in retirement from what he dreamed up a lucrative new business, parking his camel around town, he sells snacks to hungry customers, and it was a highly successful new line of work.

"Thank you, please to be coming again anytime soon." Salim spoke from being paid his next few sacks of gold coins from a man that just took some food from his camel he picked out.

Soon that customer packed up what he got from the raccoon, and turned to leave while picking out an apple from Salim's business, and eating it on the way.

"Hahhh, this life in retirement…is good." Salim spoke from sitting on his camel, resting his old bones about the good moment of his life. "My younger days of once being a thief are long behind me? Why, it seems only the other sunset that it all happened?" He remembers the times he was, had, when he was young and a very active thief in his youthful age. "Still, every know and again, I remember the thieving, the times with the Forty Thieves, and to that overly crazy adventure that was more then three lifetimes?" He spoke off in recalling his old times of thievery, to one that was so much over the top (with Sly Cooper's time traveling pals), it was more then he every did in his life.

"Murrahhmm…." Salim's camel spoke off suddenly to look at him with a dry expression of hearing this story, as if making a quoted comment about it to the elderly raccoon?

"What, what you say!? You think I wish to have some wild, crazy, adventurous experience in my life, dream on?" Salim asked off in remotely stating what his camel thought he should do, and that was just crazy talk. "There is nothing, & I repeat; Nothing! To make me give up my newly successful earning gold coins retirement to do anymore thieving." He settle himself on the hump of his camel, preparing to go into a nice nap to relax himself, there was nothing to make him get out of retirement.

The camel rolled his eyes, of course his rider would be so stingy to say that, all while unaware of a little glow surrounding them?

"Poof!" Suddenly just like that, a flash of light covered over the camel before it faded with the creature not only gone; but Salim Al Kupar was gone too.

The entire spot of table, the camel's food baskets, even the money Salim got from his work was suddenly all gone in a flash. Anyone that saw this act only came to the conclusion that it was just a little magic to impressive the crowd. But while unaware of the actual meaning, it looks like Salim Al Kupar's retirement from dangerous adventures….is about to take a new turn in his old age?

* * *

**Location: Unknown?**

**Present Moment?**

Now we come to a place where all is dark without any light, and there was only a center light in one spot of a strange room. The floor was of gray-violet, and there was light coming from above it that we could not tell it's source. But that was before something happened that from the sides in the shadows of darkness came….floating giant crystal clear octagon gem stones. And what was stranger was seeing that a mysteriously tall and black cape cloak hooded figure had walked in from out of nowhere, and came into the center of the light. And then what happened, was that he held out his long sleeves that covered his black gloves in a stretch which…seem to trigger something on the gem stones to suddenly…come alive with something happening inside?

"Yes, it's starting?" The figure behind the hood spoke with a grand sounding voice in seeing the situation taking place here.

From the first gem stone, shown in the center was a picture of Caveman "Bob" Cooper & his thieving skills in stealing pterodactyl eggs.

"From Prehistoric…." The mysterious figure exclaimed in seeing the first of the Cooper Clan of thieves.

Then pass that gem stone, was another, which showed Salim Al Kupar on his flying carpet while performing his climbing skills.

"To Ancient Arabia…" The figure spoke from seeing how well that an old senile thief was still so skillful, even in retirement.

The next gem stone then shown what was Sir Galleth Cooper, charging to bash against blockage up walls and robbed from evil robbers.

"Then Medieval Ages…" The figure smiled in seeing the skills and strength that this bombastic character showed such tenacity.

Then from another gem stone, showed us Rioichi Cooper, performing his ninja like thieving skills that made him hard to catch, while making such fine sushi.

"To Feudal Japan…" The figure exclaimed in seeing a ninja perform his techniques in such a style way of the ninja arts.

The next gem stone was showing Tennessee "Kid" Cooper sliding down rails so easily, then robbing a train to using his cane-revolver to hit so many targets, it was too fast to not see it coming.

"The Wild West…" The figure smiled at how well a Western outlaw could be quick on the draw there, a nice touch that showed.

The other gem stone was next showing what was the Cooper Gang of modern present, Sly being the thief of his family, with his team of Bentley the Brains, and Murray the Brawn. Together, they were performing jobs using each of their skills to handle both the law chasing them to other criminals.

"To Paris' Present Day…" The figure finally showed his eyes from behind his dark hood that shrouded his face, as he was seeing the Cooper Gang in action.

Then all the gem stones were rotating around this being, as he soon was lowering his arms down to rest…while he was in thought.

"Soon, you ALL, shall be tested?" The mysterious hooded cloak character exclaimed in what he plans to do. "For this shall be a test that one shall gain greatest…beyond their wildest imagination." He slowly spoke in where his mouth was too much hidden from being seen, but he gave enough of a hint in what was happening here.

Soon the gem stones glowed brightest before vanishing from sight. And the character under the hood keeping his identity hidden, was slipping back into the shadows.

"And so….it Begins….Cooper Clan?" From his hood, showed his eyes & his grin smile of teeth in somehow planning something 'interesting'…for those from the Cooper Family.

And with that, the mysterious character himself had completely disappeared in the surrounding darkness after leaving the spot of the only light. There were so many questions to answer for, like what was going on here, why was Sly's group & his ancestors involved, and who was this mysterious individual himself? Sad to say, but that is all going to be answered for later….for now; an event shall unfold it's mitts onto the best of thieves from the Cooper Clan?

* * *

**VISION NOTE:** While this is a parody from Teen Titan's episode 'Winner Takes All', I've changed much of it around for extending purposes. Plus, instead of a simple card game, I've decided to try a Battleship game, one where it's got something to add a little more challenge, plus the genius advance model of it to surprise us in how interesting the game could be if ever develop into such a stage.

What Dimitri was using in addressing the cops, was something of a reference from the Muppets Movie, the first one in 1979, not the new one of 2011.

Another reference mention here was about Dimitri going back to jail. Seeing he was arrest in the second game, and got out to be good in the third Sly Cooper game.

I added the pizza delivery boy as a funny gag, especially when surrounding cops end up taking the meal that's free up for grabs to eat instead of the crook that order it, but is nowhere in sight.

So what did many of you think of this **VISION** of a start? Truly something, the VISION-KING work hard to figure out how to describe the characters, colors, etc., but another step is how they speak (in more ways then one). And now with one case done, it's time for us to get ready for the next big upcoming for all to witness & behold. Yes, you can now **IN-VISION** what happens when Sly Cooper, his Gang & the raccoon's Ancestors, end up in a strange place (and out of each time periods)? What or how can anything be explained for the craziest thing to happen to the group of thieves? Why, the one who brought them here, all to prepare for a tournament, held by the Master Of Games. What will everyone here think about this part of reasoning, and what answers will they get from this 'host' of a tournament that wants them to partake in, and a bigger question is…what's in it for them? So many questions, so many little knowledge, but one thing's sure…? We don't wanna miss out on what exciting moments happen during such a rare case, a Tournament of Thieves, sounds too good to pass off, doesn't it? Till then, enjoy what's here, and we'll see the next part slowly soon….slowly soon…indeed...


	2. 02: Welcoming The Competitors?

Author's Note: How are many of you doing, my followers & viewers? You ready to **ENVISION** what I got cooking up next here, are ya? Well wait no further, the "King Of VISIONS" has once again, another surprise to present for those that wanna see what is about to happen next. It'll be something to **VISUALIZE** as a little 'opening' of 'greeting' before we prepare ahead with the next stage of what's to come? Yes, I know you much wanna see all the action now, but we must be patient, for some good stuff will still be seen, just done differently? But what will be seen is still comical, funny, and enjoyable for any that love Sly Cooper, especially the five ancestors that are gonna be acting here. And trust me, just trying to make how they talk with their speech patterns is tricky, but so satisfying. Enough with the small chats, let's begin…shall we now…

**Chapter 02) Welcoming The Competitors?**

**Location: Still Unknown?**

**Still Present Time?**

Soon we return to the same area where nothing but darkness enshrouded the entire place. There was only some bit of light that was being seen in the area in question, but all was still quiet? After the mysterious figure had entered to devise his method on what to do after performing some feet of 'magic' involving the Coopers, he left this spot. Now there was nothing left going on here that seemed to remotely suggest anything would happen that would not catch us by surprise. Or would it now….?

"Poof!" Suddenly without warning of any kind, a familiar flash of white light erupted from where there was light from above that lit the only part of the room to later reveal; Sly, Bentley & Murray? After that light show faded off, the Cooper Gang were suddenly active to be on high alert now?

"Whoa! Um, what happened?" Murray yelped from suddenly getting his thoughts together to ask, what just happened to them?

"Murray, Bentley, you guys alright?" Sly spoke in seeing that his pals were okay, that was a relief off his chest.

"Well yeah, why wouldn't we be?" Murray shrug off his shoulders to look at Sly confused, why was the raccoon asking them such a silly question?

"I'm fine Sly." Bentley responded in firstly, answering his pal's question, before moving on. "But this is really puzzling my mind?" He held his head before looking at the pitch black area they are surrounded by.

"The only thing I can tell you two, is that just when we were about to leave our hideout…" Sly explained to Bentley and Murray about what was going on with them, back at their warehouse hideout during a commotion.

"Which Dimitri accidentally lead Interpol too?" Bentley remotely pointed out in a dry tone in recalling 'who' lead the cops to them, even by not knowing it himself.

"Yeah, he did?" Sly sheepishly nod his head off in recalling how Dimitri did slip up in that spot. "But then you both got covered in a light and vanished before my eyes? Same thing musta happened to me to?" Sly explained off in remembering that during such an event, they were glowed over by a light before vanishing from sight.

"And it might have been only us, Carmelita and Dimitri aren't here?" Bentley pointed off in noticing who the light's targets were, the three of them apparently.

"Yeah, seems like it?" Sly shrug off his shoulders in thinking the same thing; only the Cooper Gang were being taken, no one else, why?

"So wait, if we all got that white glow stuff that made us escape our jammed situation, one thing's puzzling me?" Murray slowly spoke off in suddenly coming to terms of what might be going on here?

"What's that pal?" Sly looked to Murray in wondering what kinda answer he's got?

"What about my deliver of twenty pizzas, how am I gonna collect them if I don't see the guy?" Murray exclaimed off in worrying about his meal and about paying the delivery, in all the confusion, he forgot about that?

"I think our situation calls for a more…appropriate attention then that, Murray? Sorry Big Guy, no harm in getting between your stomach, but our situation might be critical to our survival?" Bentley explained to his big hippo friend to think about the situation they are in, if they are in any danger, they have to think about getting out alive then about the losses, such as missing on pizza.

"Yeah sure, I guess?" Murray sulks a bit that he missed getting his pizzas, but their safety should be on their 'to do' list.

"So what can we guess of our new location?" Sly asked off in trying to study the darkness that surrounds them, trying to get a mutual understanding of it.

"It's kinda pitch black here Sly, but looks like we're getting a little light from above…" Murray spoke off from noticing where they were was pretty much dark, nothing but a little light from above them. "Only it's so far away, I can't make heads or tails if it's saying we're outside or inside something?" He tried to hold a hand over his eyesight to see pass the point of where the light coming down on them was the source of, not much luck there.

"I'm running a scan right now to determine just where we are right now?" Bentley spoke from bringing up his attachable lab-top to begin typing to find out any data on their current situation?

"Well lets hope there aren't anymore surprises?" Sly made a slight smile in hoping nothing pops out of the darkness to catch them by surprise?

Oh how wrong the Cooper Gang was, for surprises was the next thing to expect the unexpected in this kinda case. Which goes without saying, when something matching two canes reached out to suddenly pull the arms from Murray into the shadows.

"GAaugh! Help, Sly! I'm being attacked by an unseen foe I can't punch?" Murray yelped out loud to try to fight, but when he turned around to punch what was behind him, he got….nothing but shadows?

"Hang on Murray, I'll help!" Sly spoke off to hold his own family cane to go in to help his big pal while Bentley watched in concerns; was there a foe hiding before them?

"Oh my, Murray-san…is that you?" Spoke a voice with a Japanese speech use tone in how one address' someone?

And who should come out of the dark shadows that completely took Sly's group by surprise then….Rioichi Cooper?

"Rioichi Cooper?" Bentley responded in almost being flabbergasted to see one of Sly's Ancestors? "Your…you're here?" He just barely held out his left hand to point at seeing someone of Sly's family that was once alive in Feudal Japan in the 1603 AD, is now here in the flesh?

"Hai. I was minding my own when leaving the shop, only to sense an unseen force, that took me into the light…." Rioichi nods with a noble bow and his hands clap together in being very honorable to see his allies again while he explained something that happened to him; a light made him vanish that came out of nowhere?

"And it brought you here?" Sly raised an eyebrow of suspicion in hearing what his Japanese Ancestor said sounded like what happened with his gang.

"Correct, this form of ninjutsu…I am sad to say, I am…unfamiliar with?" Rioichi nods while looking serious, but distracted by the manner that what form this unexpected light was that took him to this place, he does not know of it's origin or function?

"Join the club, Bentley's just trying to help us figure that out?" Murray shrug off his shoulders to let Rioichi know they gone through a similar situation, and now their turtle pal in the wheelchair, is trying to figure this out.

"I'm afraid it might be more complicated then we thought, guys?" Bentley sadly stated with a serious expression on his face while trying to type on his lab top with more number-crunching, especially when he's added the knowledge of Sly's ancestor, Rioichi, was here with them?

"What do you mean?" Sly asked his smart friend in what was wrong that got Bentley a little more worked up?

"Yah Bentley, tell us? This waiting is making me almost go BERSERK!" Murray cried out in feeling that waiting this long, is driving him nuts here. "I feel like screaming?….AAAAhhhhh!" Then without knowing why, Murray just let off a loud scream that was mostly the sound of him getting furious.

Just before Bentley could answer those questions however, something else took place here.

"Abominus Beast, you shall not stop a knight on his quest!" A new voice spoke off that suddenly cut in on the group's conversation.

"Wait, who's a what's it?" Murray yelped off to find who spoke to him, and addressed him under such a manner?

"Sally-forth…HOooooe!" The voice spoke of Medieval tone before something of a blur rush from the shadows…with a spear object pointed at Murray.

"AAAAaughhhh!" Murray scrammed out in fear, and was running for his life in another direction to escape this pursuer.

And who should come out from the darkness next, then into the light while chasing Murray in a circle be….Sir Galleth Cooper.

"Sir Galleth Cooper?" Sly responded surprise on two things; one, another of his ancestors was here from 1301 AD, and two, the guy was too focus on his task to pay attention to his surroundings of others he knew.

"GlupUummm…." Murray was toppled down with the Cooper in armor standing on the hippos' back, like a knight that has best'd a beast.

"Yield to my might, fowl beast!" Sir Gellath clutched his free hand into a fist, and held his cane up for the final blow when….

"Sir Galleth wait, that's Murray you're about to shred?" Bentley yelped up to hold his hands up to get the guy's attention, that was no monster, it was their hippo friend.

Soon Sir Galleth turned to see Bentley which made him confused, and looked down on closer examination to see…the beast he conquered was indeed Murray.

"What pray tell is this?" Sir Galleth asked off a bit bewildered by what he has suddenly come across. "Sir Bentley, & Sir Murray?" He recognized those that have helped him in the times of Medieval England days.

"Hello…glad to see ya, if you weren't on top of me?" Murray spoke from being pressed down, before Sir Galleth got off the hippo to let him stand up; soar from his aching body from what happened, but alright.

"And Sly, is this real, or more illusion & sorcery at hand?" Sir Galleth spoke in seeing his descendant of a future present time was here, but was confused; was this real or not?

"I think we all wanna be filled in on that?" Sly stated with a sudden serious face, two of his ancestors were here, this definitely puzzled his mind a bit?

"Bang-Bang!" Suddenly, there was some gun fire shots off in the distance that got the gang's attention to go defensive.

"WRAaaughhh!" Then a cry was heard that also alerted them, that there was more then just those in the only lit light room here?

"Now what is it? Gulpvhmm…." Murrary was about to ask in feeling this was getting out of hand, but it got worst when a blurry creature attached himself to the hippo's back, and knocked him down to the ground. "Why me?" Murray complained off from being taken onto the ground by someone else? This just wasn't a good start of a day for him?

"Holly-Mollie! It's Bob?" Bentley yelped off in seeing that what tackled Murray, was someone they saw in the light of this center to be recognized.

"Wait Bentley, you mean…Bob as in, Caveman "Bob" Cooper?" Sly asked off from looking to Bentley, and seeing that it was true; his Prehistoric Ancestor from 10,000 BC was here?

"Hugh, I thought that tackle felt familiar?" Murray spoke off from recalling how strong Bob's strength was, as the Caveman Cooper got off and to lean a hand in helping the hippo up. "What are you doing here, Bob?" Murray asked off in how a guy he helped get back into shape, was doing here, outside of the Ice Age time period?

"(I was sniffing of where I was, my hands touched something, and then loud noise spook me out?)" Bob responded with his gibber caveman talk which could still be understood (**Note**: by the words we read) in what happened to him.

"A weird noise? But the only sound we heard was…gun shots?" Bentley spoke in holding his hand under his chin in pondering….who fired off those gun shots that Bob never heard before since it existed long after the caveman's time?

"Alright you varmint, you and everyone else in your group put your hands where I can see them!" Spoke a new voice with a Western cowboy accent in wanting those in the light, to reach for the skies and not try anything.

Then who should enter the scene of the puzzled group of thieves, then one doing the stuff from old cowboy's action then…Tennessee Kid Cooper.

"Tennessee Kid Cooper?" Bentley responded off for the forth wonder of it all, that Sly's Western Ancestor from 1884 AD was accounted with the rest.

"Well howdy that? Bentley, Sly, and Murray, fancy seeing you here?" Tennessee Kid responded in lowering his revolver cane in noticing some old friends of his. "Something caught me by surprise that touched my boot, and I reacted with some gun shots in the air to scare it away. So what was it?" He explained what happened to him, something caught him by surprise, and he reacted in self-defense, and wants to know what it was that he was chasing?

"Would you believe, it was Bob here?" Murray pointed to the Caveman Cooper that was behind the hippo that peeked from behind from being a bit cautious from what he went through.

"Oh, sorry about that, my bad?" Tennessee Kid reacted to the news, and immediately apologized to his prehistoric caveman member of the family for his rash action.

"(Eh, no problem. I've handled worst?)" Bob shrug off his shoulders to say that it was okay, he's gone through worst, as he came out from behind the hippo.

"Okay, this is getting weird?" Sly spoke off from looking around him to see something out of a fiction book. "I'm seeing my ancestors again, and this time, it's the ones I've gotten to really know from when they were in trouble?" Sly remembers meeting with these guys during the time his family's history as worlds greatest thieves, was about to be changed & erase from history.

"I know, Rioichi, Sir Galleth, Bob, Tennessee, who else is next?" Bentley responded in understanding his friend's point, this was all too weird, who else were they gonna see from this group of Cooper Ancestors?

"What in the Dessert Sands is all the racket, and why is there no light on except for this spot?" Spoke another voice that got all our attention that spoke with an Arabian tone accent.

And who would you know to walk right into the middle of the scene, then another Cooper of the past, Salim Al Kupar.

"Salim Al Kupar?" Bentley responded in more surprise shock in remembering Sly's Arabian Ancestor from 1001 AD, and it was hard to forget him. "Oh boy, I had to ask for old cranky-pants?" He signs in remembering that this was one Cooper that was in his senile years, and can be a bit cranky at times.

"Salim, you're here too?" Sly responded in seeing his fifth Ancestor before him, this was almost too good to be true.

"Well it's not like I had any other choice?" Salim snap off to complain a bit in stating this was not his idea to begin with. "One minute, I am enjoying selling my snack food from my camel, and the next, I'm gone in a white light?" He was explaining himself that something strange happened that he was now here instead of his hometown?

"Hugh, same with me, Sly and Bentley here?" Murray spoke kinda curious, yet puzzled about how something like what Salim said, had also happened with him and his pals.

"Bite-thy tongue, tis this true? Art thou saying what's happen to thee?" Sir Galleth asked off rather shock to learn of a stunt scene that happened to him too.

"Um, yep?" Sly slowly responded with a sheepish rub to his back about such an experience happened to him & his team.

"How bizarre? For I too, have experience…such acts?" Sir Galleth held his chin in recalling the event that took him from where he once was.

"(It happened to me too?)" Bob responded in letting the others know of his case as well. "(I was curious when it was only on me, but then when I least expect it, I was gone from my tribe, and was alone in this dark place?)" He stated about being with his tribe, then the light took him by surprise to this dark place.

"Well ain't that rowdier then a Buzzard Bathing in a pit-filled with cactuses? The same thing happened with me too?" Tennessee Kid responded off with a very shock surprise that whatever happened to him, happened to a lot of other folks here to.

"Yes, it would seem we each, have had a rather….'peculiar', experience of being in one place, then the next, somewhere else?" Rioichi made a serious expression on his face in pondering how this was all strange to have gone through the same experience.

"Well, I think I've gotten something?" Bentley spoke in finally finishing his typing on his portable lab top to have an answer for them.

"Is it the Good News, Bad News, kinda explanation Bentley?" Sly asked off with a little bit of a joke of the manner here.

"Historical Sly, just let me finish here?" Bentley rolled his eyes that his raccoon pal was joking at this time. "The area around here seems to be throwing off some weird wave-lengths that are trans-digressing time & space's ruction, by the circumference of…" The turtle was explaining some very much into science talk about what's happening here, but….

"Um Bentley, I know you're smart, but…could you…maybe, just a 'little', give me a simple explanation of what you're saying?" Murray asked off in having a hard time figuring out all this science talk, it's too much confusing to him?

"Right Murray, sorry everyone? In short, something is making time here for all of us, seem…well normal?" Bentley responded before giving the short message of the meaning of what he's trying to say. "Last time Sly, we brought your ancestors to the present, they couldn't stay long, and were sent back to their own timeline after a while, so to not disrupt the time stream." The turtle guy knew about time travel, going to the past is one thing, but taking someone out of that period was risky, so he made sure that those outside their timeline, would return eventually.

"So you're saying….something is keeping my ancestors here, without causing any time craze disaster on our hands?" Sly slowly responded in getting what his pal was suggesting, that something was preventing any time anomaly from going haywire with his ancestors being here together?

"Yes, but there's still more, what I gave, was only good news?" Bentley stated off that firstly, what he told, was mostly good about time not getting out of hand, however… "Bad news would be, I can't figure out if we're somewhere in the past or our present timeline?" He couldn't really know if they were somewhere of their time or anyone else's past timelines?

"So you think we're in the future?" Sly shrug off his left hand to make a suggestion about being in the far future instead.

"The future? I thought we see flying cars and instinct food delivery service? And even those food pills that grow big with a drop of water?" Murray responded in being very curious, and looked around, but was not seeing some exciting things going on?

"I'm not sure if it's the future either guys? What I 'can' say…" Bentley shook his head with some self-doubt, that while not in the future, there is one answer he can understand the most for now. "Is that something is interfering with my scan readouts to understand the tech hidden around here?" He's certain there is technology involved that is making it hard for him to figure out where they are, weather it's some point of their own time or not, was left a mystery?

"Enough with the twaddle & gobbledegook! The time for action is now! Even if this be magic, by Merlin's Beard?" Sir Galleth waved off his right hand in being bothered by how he can barely figure out much of Bentley's words, and that they must make haste in their situation.

"Hugh, a magical item, like a genie's lamp, that could be it?" Salim spoke with some interest in thinking that it maybe something of a magic genie lamp?

"No, no, there is some technology, but it's hard to understand it?" Bentley waved off his hand in trying to let Sly's ancestors know that the cause was of some form of technology, he just can't figure it out is all.

"Bentley-san, sometimes, two different halves of the coin, can be apart of one meaning." Rioichi spoke with wise-advice that stated, that two different subjects: technology & magic, maybe one in the same.

"(Um, is it like looking at water to see one's self, but not really there?)" Bob asked off a bit unsure how to follow, but thought of a good example.

"Heck, I wonder what anything that comes up being something we've never expected in our lives?" Tennessee Kid smiled in thinking about how they've already experienced some out-of-whack stuff already that wasn't something normal that they've encountered.

"Okay, okay, so maybe from some…'small chance', there is magic involved? And with advance technology, whatever is being used, I can only assume we're in a…Central Dimension?" Bentley concurred that if they are going to put a theory to the test, the turtle believes that they might be in some form of a dimension that's centered in on where they maybe?

"A Central…what?" Murray responded off really confused by what Bentley just said. "You mean we're not even on our own PLANET, anymore?" The hippo asked off if the meaning was that they are not on their own planet anymore, that's really taking the cake here?

"It's a long shot Murray, but it's hard finding out if we're on our own planet if time isn't keeping track of Sly's Ancestors being outside of their own time line?" Bentley put a good theory that if they were in a dimension that exist where time is not kept in order, then any being from different time periods, could co-exist here.

"So you are saying, that if we all existed differently, and we shouldn't even be here in the first place?" Salim spoke off in getting the idea of what Bentley is trying to tell them of their situation. "Then how is it that when I got taken, everything with me isn't near me?" He asked off a puzzling question about something he had was not on him anymore.

"What do you mean?" Sly asked from raising an eyebrow in never understanding his ancestor's question?

"My camel, my stock, and my earned retirement money, it's all…KAPOOF?" Salim waved up his arms to complain that his stuff, and camel, are long gone when he was taken by the light?

"Speaking of bequeaths, my fellow steed I road on is missing, tis sheer annoyance to rob a knight of his horse?" Sir Galleth spoke in thought of remembering what happened to him around recently, back in his time.

"Woah, must be some kinda horse-thief going around?" Murray responded off surprise to hear someone actually stole a horse, what kinda thief does that?

"Now that I have a moment to think, a scroll of my recipe ingredients is missing?" Rioichi spoke from checking his clothing to find, something that wasn't on his person. "To swipe it off a ninja master, is no easy task?" He stated with a serious face that whoever took his scroll of ingredients off his person, must be very skilled?

"You think that's a problem, the money I robbed off of robbers is gone too? Last I saw it, it was near me, and when I got here, it weren't beside me?" Tennessee Kid stated that he had robbed off robbers of their loot, but when he vanished to appear out of the light, the money he got was long gone?

"(And I think my small stack of eggs were taken too?)" Bob spoke off in stating something else he had went missing; pterodactyl eggs?

"Okay, so somehow, something brought us here, and it took each thing we got?" Bentley held up his hands to try to get everyone to calm down while he was thinking of what their situation was turning out to be. "For natural reasons, criminals would want money, maybe Rioichi's recipe could score big, and pterodactyl eggs are rare for big bucks?" He made excellent points if crooks were to take such priceless objects of wealth & rare items that would make a 'pretty penny' in modern times of the present.

"But what did we lose Bentley, other then me with my pizzas, you with…ugh…something important?" Murray asked off his turtle pal in what was taken from them before they got here?

"Thanks Murray, I did leave behind some newly made gadgets, but I can still know how to make them without the blueprints?" Bentley responded to his hippo friend with his own answer, that he didn't really lose much since he knows how to build it, but was there nothing else to think about?

"Only thing I could think about…is that something of mine was taken…my friends." Sly addressed the manner with a serious face that made the other members of his gang looked to him. "What got me, first took you two." He recalled that whatever the flashing light was, took Murray, then Bentley, before working around Sly himself.

"Now the pieces have come together, getting living creatures is different from non-living objects, but now all that remains is one thing to figure out?" Bentley held his chin in understanding how what happened that brought them had a different work function on solid to life-organism creatures that needed different working methods to transport? "What did this, or more to it….'who' did it?" What the turtle addressed the subject in question, would bring a lot of others into the thought.

If this was just a phenomena that was just coincidence, that's one thing, but… If this was all done by a person, then who would have the resources, the tech, and magic to do the impossible. All these rushing questions…would soon be answered.

"**Welcome…Thieves & All!**" Spoke a new voice that got everyone's attention in hearing someone greet them, sounding like some announcer?

Then suddenly the entire room was lit up with lights that all traces of darkness that shadow the area were brought into motion. It was style like a grand hall of such design culture with many opened windows without glasses, and a sky-roof to see what was endless night stars. The area was like a circle room with a few doors that would lead to some part of this mysterious building in question, and around the mid-section of each door was a lantern with a lit flame to illuminate the room. Even hidden within the rooms were glimmering items of gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, etc., it was almost overwhelming to think a thief could ransack an entire building?

"Woah!" Sly spoke off from being surprise by his surroundings, it was definitely of classy artwork alright.

"By the Seven Arabian Nights?" Salim spoke off from feeling such utter motion to gasp at the sighting of such marvel.

"By Dragon's Breath?" Sir Galleth exclaimed off in looking around, stun by this place, it was more then a mere castle palace?

"By the Ancient Code of the Ninja?" Rioichi muttered off with his eyes trailing along the architecture of the building's form.

"(By Dinosaur Teeth?)" Bob responded with his own surprise in being here in such a vast place of so many things never seen before.

"By Scorpion-Snake Rattle Tail Wrestling?" Tennessee Kid replied off in almost whistling to the room and all it's fine glory.

"By The Quantum-Physics!" Bentley exclaimed off in looking around, never believing this was even for real here, but it was?

"By Triple-Decker Pizza, with Pepperoni, Anchovies, Hot Fudge with Banana Split Ice Cream & a Cheery on top!?" Murray responded off a shocking surprise reaction that was going over the top of lots of stuff to say in just looking at this place.

Course, the others looked to the hippo puzzled and confused in what he just said sounded…weird?

"What? I thought this was a 'make-up stuff in responding to how surprise we are' game?" Murray looked to the others to respond that he was just going allow in what was happening here?

"While this is strange Murray, what you said, just became the second bit from the first?" Bentley pointed off that Murray spoke something that left the group completely lost in thought to be the second surprise to their knowledge, while this room was the first.

"Guys, I think there is something above…we all, gotta see?" Sly pointed off in taking a little earlier notice of another major thing that earn their attention.

Soon all eyes focus on a long stairway in the center of the room that lead to some high stand; an altar by another word? There, someone stood in proudly being seen by those within the room; it was the mysterious cloaked figure? Only this time, he revealed a bit more of himself to those below him. He appear to be a humanoid bat with dark-gray fur and pointed ears with gray triangle earrings with a ruby stone in the center. He had red color eyes, combed silver hair that falls behind his back, and only two small fangs sticking from his mouth on the top and bottom while his teeth were inside his mouth. His sharp claws were hidden under his gloves & from his feet were made from boots to allow toe room. Hidden from in back of his hooded cape was where his wings were located. The only other thing to see was around the guy's neck was a ruby amulet, that looked pricy and valuable. This guy had his hands on his waist in being presented with a high dignity on his frontal approach on being seen.

"**I…Am the Master of Games: Kortez!**" The mysterious being addressed himself by rank title before giving out his own name while doing his bold announcing performance. "And you, are hereby invited to compete…" He spoke off in declaring that those below are to get ready for a competing trail, which was… "**In the Tournament Of Thieves!**" He soon waved out his arms in declaring that this shall be a tournament where all thieves alike can compete against each other.

"Ah tournament?" Bentley responded off in being stumped to hear this now out of the blue?

"Of Thieves?" Sly repeated that whoever this guy was, wanted only thieves to compete in something like this?

"Wait a sec. Master of Games?" Murray suddenly broke the tension in liking something to be answered firstly here. "Like, as in…you've master every game there is in existence?" The hippo had actually wanted to know if this 'Master Of Games', really is a Master of Games or not?

"Yes, that would be the objective." Kortez responded in acknowledging the answer to the simple question.

"Does thou have ever bested archery, jousting, and swordsmen competition?" Sir Galleth asked off his series of games that have been done in Medieval England.

"I have done so." Kortez nods in responding to the question of old England games from Medieval times.

"Well have you ever played a game of poker cards, and is good at throwing darts?" Tennessee Kid asked off if this guy had played games that folks that go in bars and saloons have done.

"Yes, I have." Kortez responded without delay in knowing of games from Western times.

"(Um, have you wrestled against Sumo Penguins?)" Bob asked off in thinking how he's done a game like that, which Murray once had him do to get into shape?

"I tiny effort, yes." Kortez nods in noting how such a challenge is but a small basic thing to him.

"Have you ever tried to snatch a scroll in a game used in ninja training?" Rioichi asked in wondering if this Kortez person, has played a game that ninjas do as a training technique.

"A tradition I've seen done many times before." Kortez responded off in knowing very much about Feudal Japan's games befitting for ninjas of that time.

"Have you ever played a game of heckling in which treachery is tested?" Salim asked off with a sly eye in knowing how in market places in his Arabian hometown, there are such sly dogs.

"I have seen how such a game even works." Kortez waved off a left hand in knowing such trickery such as heckling off hecklers trying to con him.

"Have you've beaten Monster Truck Rally VII, Zombie Rush V, & Wrestle Mania XII with a high score?" Murray asked off a series of some games he's played and are very popular.

"I've finished those with being the high score champion, & still rain…undefeated." Kortez motioned this message off with a tiny smile in beating such games of present time.

"Woah, that's some impressive record?" Bentley responded along with Murray, beating those mentioned games they know is indeed, challenging.

"Well, with asking game-related questions aside, I have something else to ask? Are you the one that brought us here?" Sly stated in bringing back the main topic if the only person they haven't meant before until now, is the one that brought them here to begin with.

"Yes, it was 'I', that called you all here. By an ability you may know it as…teleportation." Kortez did not deny the evidence that he was the one to bring these thieves here, and many were astounded to hear of a move this guy can perform.

"And here would be?" Sly raised his eyebrow in not sure where they are, since they just appeared by teleportation work?

"The Central Dimension, where Time has no meaning here of the outside space, this place is…Zeta Prime!" Kortez slowly responded to wave off his arms in announcing the place all stand in, his _Central Dimension: Zeta Prime_.

"Zeta Prime, hugh, you don't say?" Sly responded in finding that name pretty strange for a different dimension, but then again, what did he know about dimension travel. "So tell us buddy, what is it you want of us again?" Sly curled his eyebrow in wondering what this person in question, has got planned for them?

"As spoken; A Tournament of Thieves. A friendly competition." Kortez exclaimed that this was to be a tournament where there was a friendly competition to be held. "Between the World's Best Thieves of any Time." He exclaimed the motion that was focused solely on those that have arrived here in this very room.

Suddenly, a flash of light came off from Kortez's amulet that blinded many. And soon came display screens that showed much of any competitor & of the info about them.

"_Sly Cooper._" Kortez spoke from when suddenly, there was a image of the Cooper of Paris, France. "_Inherited skills from his long line of Cooper Family Thieves. Skills to pull off quick & agile performance to completely take down any foe that underestimates him._" He explained off the stuff Sly can do while performing his skills that match his abilities.

"Hugh, I didn't know that you caught up in knowing stuff about me?" Sly smiled a bit in seeing this guy knew some bits about him, kinda impressive…kinda?

"_Sir Galleth Cooper._" Kortez spoke from when the next name & image display of the contestant came up, was Sir Galleth Cooper. "_He's got the strength to be a knight, and plow through any dangers with his bombastic attitude in the Medieval Times._" He explained the knowledge of a thief that is a knight, and the strength he holds from his sheer might & honor.

"Ye be too kind in honoring my knight's valor." Sir Galleth responded with a little gentleman's bow to this strange character.

"_Bentley._" Kortez spoke in bringing up a member of Sly's gang to the picture display screen, the Brains of the group; Bentley. "_The turtle with the gizmos, and plenty of big Brain. Though he maybe crippled & in a wheelchair, his skills with any tech make him unpredictable in any situation._" He explained from what is seen of the turtle performing much use of his brains and gadgets and gizmos to the point of what his wheelchair can do.

"Wow, I had no idea, I was 'that' good?" Bentley responded in finding that watching himself in action…was kinda cool.

"_Rioichi Cooper._" Kortez spoke forth in bringing out the next person to have some screen time, the ninja master, Rioichi. "_A ninja master that can leap from furthest places with ease, performing his ninjutsu training of stealth & camouflage, and is a master chef of sushi from Feudal Japan._" He explained the powers that the ninja thief can perform, from all his skills in thievery to that of a chef.

"Hai, you are most wise in foreseeing that, which others, haven't." Rioichi clapped his hands to bow in respecting this person for knowing and seeing his abilities…thus far.

"_Murray._" Kortez then announced the next person from Sly's gang to be seen on the display images, the big hippo of Brawn, Murray. "_The hippo of 400 pounds of pure heroic fury, and being the big muscle Brawn. He may lack some things, but what he doesn't lack, is the strength to take out twenty men._" He explained off in what we seeing a pink hippo plowing and bashing bigger thugs like they were nothing to his might and breaking through tough objects like walls and crates.

"Oh yeah! The MURRAY...is an unstoppable fighting machine!" Murray cheered off in announcing his greatness out for all to remember. "Although,…the 400 pounds thing, 'might' be a 'bit' much?" He rubbed the back of his head in feeling a little embarrass of being said to weigh so much.

"_Salim Al Kupar._" Kortez then introduced the elderly raccoon, Salim Al Kupar, as he was seen in trying to look his best while the display images were showing himself off. "_An elderly thief said to have the stealth of forty thieves, and can rapidly ascend vertical climbing objects, and even ride a magic carpet to get over large gaps of the Arabian desserts._" He explained the matters that while this Arabian thief maybe old, he has skills to keep himself from being just a frail old man.

"Oh please, you should have seen me in my prime days of youth." Salim waved off his left hand in claiming that if he was seen much younger, he be much better then his elderly self.

"_Caveman "Bob" Cooper._" Kortez spoke in now going off to introduce the prehistoric Caveman Cooper, Bob, as his screen display was seen. "_A prehistoric creature from the Ice Age, skills develop to be the first thief of the family, and Greatest Egg Thief to provide food, and climbing walls as a speciality, even to have made the first tool to continue the legacy._" He explained the abilities this caveman of earlier start of a thief has achieved while showing such strength of his climbing to be unheard off.

"(I've done what I can to help my tribe out.)" Bob explained off that what he did, he did it for his tribe, so that they can survive.

"_And Tennessee Kid Cooper._" Kortez had then prepared the last of the gathered bunch, with it being a picture of Tennessee Kid Cooper's turn. "_The quick gunner with his best accuracy & rail sliding to be hard to catch in the old West._" He explained the best noted functions that this cowboy raccoon can do, and with his sharp gun skills makes him hard to shot him from any side, or even follow him on railway track tracks.

"Aw shucks, my pleasure to have done the deeds." Tennessee Kid tip his hat off in liking how this here fella was complimenting him.

Now once all the view screening of the constants have been seen, we return to the room where the Master of Games finishes the introductory.

"**Eight Brave & Worthy Thieves!**" Kortez proclaimed his high announcement, the skills that are fitting for each of those here that have earn their rank. "But only one…shall win." He softly declared off with a serious motive that no matter what, out of these eight potentially gifted & skilled thieves, there can be only 'one' victor.

"So wait, you want us…me, my friends, and my family, to fight it out?" Sly asked off in wanting something explained here, this 'host' guy here, wants him to fight those that are his friends and family? He may fight other criminals, but why would he wanna fight those that aren't the evil type.

"As I said, it is a 'friendly' competition, and those that are defeated, will not be harmed anymore then to the point where there is no longer victory to be gain." Kortez calmly explained to the concerning eyes of all listeners that were hearing this statement on their well-being.

"I see…?" Sly slowly responded in hearing this, yet felt that it would be something 'out of him', by his the raccoon's nature, to fight his own family, but… "Well, I guess as long as it's a 'friendly' competition? I guess I can let off a bit." He shrug off his shoulders to get himself to feel more loose & relax, and a bit more like his old self.

"And here I thought you fear trying to harm me in a wheelchair, or face off against Murray here?" Bentley stated off in almost thinking Sly was not only fearing of hurting his pals, but to end up getting wounded by what the turtle and hippo can do.

"Trust me Bentley, those are the least things I wanna face? That, and when Carmelita gets mad enough to pull a _Shock Pistol_, on me." Sly comically stated how fighting his time traveling pals, that be the biggest challenge he have to face…next to his own girlfriend with the blaster.

"So….does the winner get some cool prize?" Murray slowly was tapping his index fingers in being curios in what the winner of this tournament gets out of it? "Like…maybe…oh, I don't know? Um…." He was rubbing his head, pondering in thought before shrugging off the shoulders in what would be a good example of a prize. "A New Turbo Booster Engine?" He clapped his hands together to smile and then pictured himself driving the Cooper Van with a new turbo booster engine, giving it more speed then ever before.

"I have no Turbo Booster, hippo." Kortez calmly stated off the answer which broke Murray's day-dream of actually getting one. "But rest assured. When the tournament is complete…there will be magnificent prizes." He was seen still standing on the center stair alter in declaring to the challengers, that by the end of this, there will be prizes to be given out. "And of course, the winner shall prove…'he' is the greatest Thief of his World's time." The others that were gathered around listen to what Kortez stated in what one of them can get out of this; title of 'Greatest Thief of their Time' on their planet. "However…." Kortez suddenly brought up something else that had to be considered at this moment. "Any who do 'Not' wish to compete? Need only say the word." He stated off that if any of the thieves here, wish to not partake in this tournament, must simply say it now. "And I shall return you home, back in your own time, at once." Kortez boldly declared with his amulet glowing to signal that any that wish to stand aside, will be sent back to where they belong.

Now things really got everyone's attention, a chance to compete in a tournament to test which of them is the 'Greatest Thief of all Time' on their world, it sounded like a major chance to be forever remembered in the history books. And there would be prizes, what they were, was still a question. But if no one here wish to compete, then this Master of Games; Kortez, would send them back to their home planet, and in their own time period too. What were the eight competitors going to do about this?

"So what say the rest of you?" Sly was addressing the others from his team to his ancestors in what they say about this tournament.

"Hard to say partner, to fight or not, it's a tough call to make?" Tennessee Kid held his chin in thinking that this was a tough thing to call.

"(I'm having a hard time deciding?)" Bob responded in not having much to know if he should do this or not at all, what be the point besides what they've been told?

"Bah, I'm too 'old' to be doing anymore of this, I'm retired!?" Salim waved off in being stingy about the whole idea of him to be going through more adventures at his age.

"To fight against family that has done no wrong, what honor is there?" Sir Galleth asked off in not getting the idea of fighting off a family member that has done no evil?

"But the questions remain, who this 'host' of tournaments, truly wants from us?" Rioichi spoke in pondering what this being called Kortez wants of them, for they have no clue?

"He says he's wanting to see which of us is the Greatest Thief of all Times? My guess is, it might be related to the Cooper Clan?" Bentley stated in thinking this was more related to the Coopers, being the worlds Greatest Thieves of all Time, and the members of each clan have earn their name to be forever known for the next generation to learn & uphold.

"What about us Bentley, aren't we great too?" Murray asked off in thinking that, being thieves themselves, arn't they also something 'special' to be here?

"I know we have our strengths Murray, but I can't help shaking the feeling, this is another Cooper related case?" Bentley knows the hippo was trying to say good things about them, but Sly's family has always had a more bigger role then they ever would have guessed?

"Then maybe we outta take part and see where it goes?" Sly suggested with a sly smile that they go along to sign up in this event, and learn the truth while doing it.

"You having some kinda plan there, son?" Tennessee Kid asked off in thinking Sly's got something to be thinking like that?

"Kortez says that he picked us on our skills, and so he's probably the guy that took us from our homes?" Sly pointed out in knowing without a doubt, Kortez was behind their disappearance in a white light.

"Tis true, he did willingly admit the deed?" Sir Galleth held his chin to look in thought, the Master of Games did 'say' such a thing.

"(Does that mean, he also took our things?)" Bob asked off in wondering if this meant another thing for them to know about?

"We can find out for sure if we just play along." Sly stated a plan to just go along with what's happening & unravel some questions along the way.

"Uh-oh Sly, I know that look, you're not thinking of actually competing?" Bentley spoke with some worried expression, he knows what the raccoon maybe planning.

"Only way how Bentley, plus, we might as well see how far this game of his goes? Since he's gone to all this trouble to bring me & my ancestors together." Sly shrug off his shoulders to think that, they may as well compete in this tournament Kortez is throwing since he got all the Coopers together (at least 6 of them), plus two team members?

"And that there're prizes to be won!" Murray responded with a smile in just thinking what prizes they can win if they compete, it's mind blowing?

"Please, why go to so much effort, when there are many other thieves in our family or even those outside our own?" Salim complained that why it have to be 'them' and not some 'other' thieves to compete for this silly tournament?

"Such efforts are not in-vein, this Master of Games, may have other things on his mind to have only chosen us…in particular?" Rioichi spoke with a serious mood of thinking they were picked for a reason, what that reason is…they haven't a clue?

"So what say you all, are you up for a 'friendly'…competition?" Sly turned to everyone here to see if there was anyone that wanted to go into this tournament to challenge themselves.

"Forthwith, I shall also lay my sword and shalt offer overmany my assistance." Sir Galleth proclaimed in raising his right hand to his chest in willing to offer a lot of his effort in this.

"(I'm in too!)" Bob responded with a nod in happily offering to go into this with the others.

"To test one's skills against other talented opponents, would be an honor." Rioichi nods with an approvable expression to happily do this to experience other fighters and their abilities.

"Heck, I be willing to bust my boot's heel to get a little dirty in this competition." Tennessee Kid smiled off in liking to be apart of something that'll really spice up his excitement.

"How's about it Salim? You wanna join?" Sly asked off in liking to see if the elderly raccoon of the Arabian time period, wants to be apart of the game.

"Well…seeing as that quitting now when you all are such high spirits, wisdom be foolish of me to say 'no', show how I'm a stubborn old fool." Salim thought this over to suddenly realize that backing out here would be a sign of weakness, he may complain at times, but not to embarrass his family name.

"Well looks like everyone in Sly's family is going along with this?" Bentley spoke from seeing that all the Coopers are in on this competing stuff.

"And so are we Bentley, lets party!" Murray responded in feeling that he and his turtle pal will really shake up this competition.

Soon after the chatting amongst themselves was over, much attention was turn towards the Master of Games himself.

"Looks like we're in. All of us." Sly approached from the others in letting Kortez here know, they plan to stick around & compete.

"The challenge is accepted." Kortez proclaimed with a proud nod in seeing all competitors have agreed to partake in his tournament. "Tell me, do any of you have questions from accepting this?" He asked off if those competing, will want some questions to be answered firstly?

"How's about my missing business & my camel?" Salim snapped off sternly in wanting back what belongs to him.

"And my trusted steed!" Sir Galleth demanded out what was also missing of his that he rode on as well.

"My missing recipe for fine sushi?" Rioichi spoke with a serious face in wanting what is his own invented creation; returned.

"The money I stole off from robbing thugs?" Tennessee spoke off with a stern tone in wanting the cash he robbed from evil robbers.

"(My eggs!)" Bob cried out in wanting his food supple of pterodactyl eggs back & to be given to his tribe.

"Right, all the stuff that we had, we wanna know, where are they?" Sly nods from hearing his ancestor's demands and complaints, and wanted this guy to respond to it.

"Rest easy, they are near…" Kortez held up his left hand to say that all the properties of these challengers are safely kept near. "But are kept safely away until the end of the tournament." Hearing this would let all those that had stuff, know that their items in question are not taken, but kept somewhere else. "If you would just head down the corridor to behind you, rooms are prepared for your stay." He issued where those competing can go to their own chambers to rest now.

"Wait!? Aren't we doing this thing now? This tournament?" Sly stopped to ask that they aren't gonna start this tournament right now?

"We must have a proper start with all competitors at full strength, you shall gain sleep, and when fully rejuvenated, shall we begin." Kortez expressed his best interest to see that all shall compete fairly at their best without any problems.

"But this place exist outside of time, doesn't it?" Bentley asked off in remembering this host said time doesn't work around here, or was that a lie?

"Indeed, but, time on how your planet moves on still works even when those here, do not age. So you'll know, what time in a day is." Kortez explained that even here, everyone will know when it's morning or night, they just won't age in this place is all. "Is that all?" He asked in wanting to know if he answered all questions presented?

"I have one, will there be room service?" Murray raised a hand to ask a question about getting something to eat; which of course this hippo thought about food?

"You shall receive plenty of refreshments to keep your strength well for now and for later." Kortez exclaimed that all those competing, will be given the best, so they can compete well in the tournament.

"Okay, I think that's everything?" Sly responded in seeing they gotten everything they wanted answered for, at least for now.

"Excellent. For come the next day? **The Tournament…Will Commence!**" Kortez waved out his arms in declaring that the tournament shall now start, after all have rested. "We shall begin by tomorrow by your planet's standard time, rest well, challengers." He rested his hands on his waist in letting those here know that they shall start the tournament by the time of their world's schedule.

"POOFruvhmm…." Then in a flash, the Master of Games vanished in plain sight before anyone's eyes?

"Woah, that was flashy for a leave stunt?" Murray was impressed by the Master of Games' exist trick, just like a magician would have done.

"Probably some smoke and mirrors…course….it's hard to say it, if it was so?" Bentley tried to state an obvious fact of the trick, but from everything that's happened, he didn't have much to go with.

"For now, we'll turn in for the night, come on." Sly issued to his group and ancestors in what they may as well do for now.

So without much else to do, everyone followed the advice of Kortez to go down the corridor behind them that would lead them to their chamber rooms.

* * *

Through a hallway the gang entered in, there were four chamber doors on each side that totaled up to eight; each with a picture logo of the competitor that was in the tournament.

"Hugh, guess this is where I'm spending the night in?" Sly commented with a little joke from his side, seeing his door had his image & signature color was blue off his attire.

"I can see they've captured my likeness very well in design?" Bentley quoted in seeing what he was looking at, seeing his door had his image & signature color was green.

"Heck, they've really made, 'the Murray', look tough in this one." Murray boldly declared off what he sees, seeing his door had his image & signature color was magenta.

"Truly, these image markings, are signs of our chambers of peace." Rioichi pointed out with some 'wise ninja' wordings, seeing his door had his image & signature color was reminiscent to that of raccoon dogs.

"Heck, I think they've done a bang off job on mine?" Tennessee Kid smiled in inspecting his logo mark, seeing his door had his image & signature color was orange.

"(Hugh, I wonder if that's really me or not?)" Bob asked a puzzling question, seeing his door had his image & signature color was beige.

"Truly, Kortez makes mine look fitting for a knight." Sir Galleth exclaimed from commenting such craftsmanship, seeing his door had his image & signature color was silver.

"Ehh, mine could be changed a bit, oh well?" Salim however seemed to find his in need of improvement (what with it reflecting his age), seeing his door had his image & signature color was turquoise.

So without delay, everyone entered their own chambers after saying a few 'goodnights' & 'rest well', & a few 'see you in the competition' quotes and comments. They each shut their doors to plan, think, train, eat, drink, or rest of what will happen when all the thieves compete to see which of them is the best?

* * *

**Tennessee's Chamber**

Tennessee's room was fitted to be like the old west with all the stuff from his time. Looked like that of a hotel/bar room where he could go to bed, get near the stall to get a drink or pick up anything that was on means of food stored in barrels or crates. Heck, there was even a shooting rig for his revolver & some rails for him to slid on.

"Well how bout dat? This place looks like back in the West?" Tennessee Kid smiled in looking at his surroundings, liking it very much. "Hugh, I could also get comfy being around here?" He spoke from twirling his cane gun around before approaching the target zone area.

* * *

**Salim's Chamber**

Salim's room was fitted to be like an Arabian structure with all the stuff from his time. It looked like a Sultan's palace, carpet floors, comfy big wide bed's with curtain rods, a mirror to see his reflection, a chain rope for his climbing, even a basket of food & a barrels of squeezed juices. There was even a calm pond for relaxing near it with some scattered pillows for one to sit in.

"Oh my, this palace reminds me of the time, I snuck into an evil Rajah's to steal what he'd taken from his people?" Salim spoke amazed by the glimse of the room that he's almost been here before…back in his youth perhaps. "Augh, in my retired life, I suppose I can compete if I can be given such fine treatment?" He signed from lying on a comfy lounge chair while picking up a bowl that had some fruit for him to feast on.

* * *

**Bob's Chamber**

Bob's room was fitted to be like the prehistoric cave caverns with all the stuff from his time. Nothing fancy expect besides some rock formations of furniture of a chair, a table, some with sticks in rocks for a workout set, and skinned animals for decoration. The animal skin parts were like a rug, wall decoration, and even a blanket for his round rock bed and stuffed with feather pillow. There was even a basket of Jurassic pterodactyl eggs on the table for him to snack on if he's hungry.

"(Oh, I feel like at home now?)" Bob exclaimed with a teethy grin in liking and walking into his cave room. "(And they even got the eggs right? I'll work out, eat, and then sleep afterwards.)" He spotted pterodactyl eggs on his table, and broke the shell to sip it's inside while doing that in-between his working out.

* * *

**Sir Galleth's Chamber**

Sir Galleth's room was fitted to be like the Medieval England's castle palace with all the stuff from his time. Banners hung from the wall, a mirror near the side, training wooden dummies and a sides stack of weapons. There was even a table and chair with a basket of food and a barrel of fine refreshing liquid for a knight to satisfy his taste buds. Even a bed was so comfy that one could remove their armor to rest without being bitterly before waking up fully refresh for battle.

"By Merlin's Beard! It feels like I've returned to the castle of my time?" Sir Galleth responded amazed by the de-coral sets of what he sees here. "Very well, I shall put the honor of the Cooper Family name to the test! And see which of us shall bring home the glory?" He unsheathed his sword in declaring that he'll fight in this tournament, and bring honor to the Cooper name.

* * *

**Rioichi Chamber**

Rioichi's room was fitted to be like the Feudal Japan building of his restaurant with all the stuff from his time. A kimono bed, a futa table with a cloth for warmth of one's legs with a basket of sushi and a teapot filled with tea with a little cup to be poured in. Nearby was a bamboo that was filled with water from a little pond that ran near a structured system, and when the bamboo was filled, dropped to make a strange 'Bom-ka!' sound before fixing itself up again for the next one, which to many, helped one relax themselves.

"Ah, it is very much satisfying to see something familiar to me?" Rioichi smiled with a satisfied expression, as he slowly walks to a spot with lit standing twigs in potted pots, as he sat in a strange stance of bend knees and spread arms. "Now, I must go into a meditated state…and focus my ninja chi to help guide me…for what awaits me?" He spoke with his eyes shut, as he began to elevate off the ground, feeling his spiritual self being enlighten at the moment of his concentration.

* * *

**Murray's Chamber**

Murray's room was fitted to be like the Safe House with all the stuff from his time. Had a lot of his heavy lifting equipment, a few parts he use to fix the Cooper Van, a big bouncy bed, and a table with a basket of lots, & LOTS of junk-food goodness; ham, cheese, pretzels, soda bottles, etc.

"ALRIGHT! The Murray…IS ABOUT TO DINE IN!" Murray shouted out for pure joy, as he rushed over to grab some snacks. "Gulp! Gulp, SLURP! BURP!" He ate, he drank, he let off a belch, all while smiling happily. "Augh, I better work out after eating that good stuff, I haven't eaten for what's been like, woah, I don't even know how long it's been? Guess it's been like forever to me?" The guy was pretty much unsure how long it was since he ate, since his group didn't eat before trying to leave & got sent here, but he'll pass it off just before going to a punching bag nearby.

* * *

**Bentley's Chamber**

Bentley's room was fitted to be like the Safe House with all the stuff from his time. More then just a bed for sleeping, a table for sitting to eat a placed basket of food and a barrel of a refreshing drink he can pour later. The place was packed with tech for him to use, operate, create, even a few constructive tables and hardware computers by the walls, it was a tech-genius' dream.

"Incredible! Look at all of this?" Bentley responded amazed by the tech in his chamber room. "Gotta say, Kortez really knows how to please a contender?" He stated from approaching the stuff, and began to do a little…process access point of his own curiosity. "Course, why I have all this, I think a little…'investigation' of our situation and the..Master Of Games…might be benefiting for our cause?" The turtle wanted to at least find out something of what's going on around here, with where they are, the situation as it stands, everything; no details left unchecked.

* * *

**Sly's Chamber**

Sly's room was fitted to be like the Safe House with all the stuff from his time. The normal bed, coffee table, basket of food & barrel of refreshing liquid. But mostly stuff that was set up for his training to practice his thievery, and some held stuff from which kinda was like the Cooper Gang Safe House…only it wasn't, as it was all just there to better satisfy him. Course, there was a photo of Carmelita and him during one of their chase events from the past, ah the memories.

"Well this guy really does his homework, he even knows about how I fine Carmelita…quite the attractive girl?" Sly spoke from smiling at a picture of him and the vixen fox with the _Shock Pistol_ Carmelita carries on her. "Still, this tournament is something completely out of normal, but I guess competing is the only way for us to learn what goes on?" He spoke from spinning his cane before taking a seat to relax himself a bit. "I just hope that I make it through against my friends, and my ancestors…this'll be a chance to see…if I can live up to the Cooper Name?" Sly leans back in his chair, looked to the ceiling, wondering of the possibilities that await him when he partakes in the tournament?

* * *

**Mysterious Room**

**Kortez's Hidden Chamber**

This place was more secluded to be kept only to personal only, in this cause; the Master of Games himself. As this guy enters a room, dark, with his floating gems that soon…attached into some high-tech equipment and began to run data through some screens? As Kortez watches, he summons a commander's thrown chair for him to sit in, as he studies the information he's receiving.

"All the pieces have been gathered." Kortez slowly spoke in seeing the data of all things that are happening to his gathering of eight qualified thieves. "Now then, to begin settling stages to beneficiate those I like to see compete against?" He was searching for answers before a few suggestions, came across by a magic network he was using. "Yes, these stages shall do nicely." He smiled under his sly grin in seeing the stages he's come to terms in what he's found.

Soon the images of the eight challengers: Caveman "Bob" Cooper, Salim Al Kupar, Sir Galleth Cooper, Rioichi Cooper, Tennessee Kid Cooper, & the present Cooper Gang of Sly Cooper & allies: Bentley & Murray. These eight would face each other off, and from them, one by one, the answers would come clear…for the Master of Games.

"The competition will commence, and soon we shall see…" Kortez spoke in feeling extra pleased with his results and finds of these challengers. "How far these eight can go to become….the top four contenders of thievery while the others…" As he was stating off trying to pinpoint the best four to advance; a hidden expression began to raise? "Will serve another purpose." He spoke from such a creepy sound of his tone, that from his scary eyes said something unimaginable will happen once this tournament begins. For now, all the thieves have to do now…is try to get by the 'First Round', and see what the results will be like?

* * *

**VISION NOTE:** The gag of what one expects in the future, is usually something off many old other fantasy ideas of what to hope for; flying cars & instant dehydrated food, are of the many.

I've added some additions of what kinda games are those that can be played (especially that which were from different time periods), as a side fun bonus.

The image signatures & colors are mentioned here as a sign mark of which character is which, and that repressed their life-meter from Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time, for the eight cast here.

I've also tried to fit each character's room with stuff one sees from such places &/or in that time period, to give it that special something.

What say many of you, like the **VISION** of the competitor's get together? Don't threat, the VISION-KING still has more special surprises to be on the way even as I speak. For explain, we finally shall commence with the tournament where it's a Thief VS. a Thief, but who will face who? Gee, they are all so good, it's a toughie & a tricky thing to choose…? Okay, maybe not!? You can **IN-VISION** what will happen, as there will….FOUR MATCHES! That's right, we start with eight, then go for a two challenger; one-on-one fight, and by the end come out with….FOUR! Who's going to pass, who's going to lose, who's gonna notice one has won, but another has not? And what mysterious can we get from the Master of Games; Kortez, out of any of this meaning, OR….is he up to something? Just sit back, relax, and let your imagination prepare to go wild in seeing Sly Cooper characters, their techniques, EVERYTHING that they can do, be unleashed! Till then, enjoy what is here….


	3. 03: Round One's Survival?

Author's Note: Greetings to all my loyal viewers & followers to another adventure. You can guess it'll be another **ENVISIONMENT** which you can't help but what more. So, the 'King Of VISIONS' will be showing you all some exciting work in where it's our eight Sly Cooper cast facing one another, techniques clash, muscle against muscle, brains outthinking the obstacle, & more. So **VISUALIZE** it all right here, and as for 'who' will be faced against, well you just have to read & find out? And along the lines, you'll see 'who' out of EIGHT, become the top FOUR, at least around here? Plus, I've added stuff to make when fighting, & who's won and who's lost, a bit more interesting to be enjoyable. But enough about the little things, you're only interest by my guess, is what's gonna happen around in this chapter, so….let's get this tournament 1st round started, shall we….?

**Chapter 03) Round One's Survival!?**

**Location: Central Dimension, Zeta Prime**

**The Gathering Chamber Hall**

Soon exiting from a corridor to enter the main room where everything happened on their first visit, Sly Cooper, his gang and ancestors, were arriving on the spot.

"POOFRuvhmmm…." At the next moment, above the stair alter, the Master of Games himself; Kortez, stood there, hands on his waist in awaiting his competitors.

"I see that you have all arrive, I trust you have rested well?" Kortez spoke forth in seeing the ones taking part in the tournament games here have arrived.

"Boy, I slept like a log after dinner?" Murray stretched himself a bit in feeling pretty rested and relaxation from where he slept.

"Well I managed to rest nicely from finishing a few…gadgets, for this game." Bentley waved off his left hand in making a quote on his behalf.

"My resting chamber was nice, felt much like home…but better." Salim smiled to make this statement, even for an elderly thief, he slept well.

"Tis a gloriest moment where I've rested my body & spirit, in preparation for combat." Sir Galleth declared off in being very much ready for this moment here.

"Shot, I got plenty of winks from that cozy place." Tennessee smiled off in saying that he got lots of 'shut-eye' to be fine and dandy now.

"(My place was nice & cozy, and a nice breakfast too.)" Bob motioned off that he slept well, and he was able to have a nice meal on waking up too.

"Hai, we've each managed to rest & have taken precaution to eat our meals before coming here." Rioichi nods with a noted fact, that each of the eight challengers have rested & have replenished themselves to compete at full strength.

"So I guess we're good to go, if you're ready to start us off in who we're pitted against?" Sly smiled in looking to the Master of Games in knowing they wanna know, who they'll face in the tournament's rounds?

"That my friends, shall be done by random, after all, you thieves 'thrive', on expecting the un-expective." Kortez stated a fact that at this moment, he can't tell who is facing who, it'll be kept a secret until much later. "I hope you're ready, most of those here will be the ones you must defeat to secure a spot in the quarterfinals." He issued that for any here to compete, they must first take on their fellow friends and family to secure spots in the tournament.

The others understood that message, to go through this tournament, they must fight & defeat the other; one by one, until only one of the eight…is the victor.

"He's right, there are like…eight of us?" Murray rubbed the back of his head in seeing, that eight of them are too much, they need to cut down the numbers.

"Then it makes sense that only four of us will get through this?" Tennessee Kid nodded his head in seeing that once eight of them face another, half of them will go up in this game.

"Indeed, thy question is…who, shall lead forth from here?" Sir Galleth nods in agreement and wonders, which of them shall sally-forth towards the goal.

"That is where fate shall lead us to our path in life." Rioichi noted this with a wise-ninja ideal statement that only through fate itself, can their destiny be moved accordingly.

"(Um, where is fate suppose to show up?)" Bob asked off puzzled in thinking fate was the name of a person?

"Eh, doesn't matter, we just go with this until it blows over." Salim shrug off and waved motion his hands that no matter the situation, they just continue until this is over, or it's over for them.

"Well that's putting it mildly?" Bentley raised his eyebrow in how Salim had to make such an answer pretty….simple in terms.

"Alright Kortez, we're all ready to compete whenever you are." Sly turned to show his eager face in wanting the Master of Games to let them get started here whenever is a good time.

"Then as I said before, the challenge has been accepted." The Master of Games nods in seeing once again, these thieves are fully ready to take part in this. "**The Tournament Begins!**" Kortez waved out his arms in announcing the start of this tournament he's preparing. "**Prepare For Competition!**" He was announcing off this with his hands on his waist after letting the competition know what's gonna happen.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then from a flash of the amulet, the guy vanished from sights of the group once again.

Afterwards, now everyone here begins to get a bit friendly towards the other before the big event of the tournament starts.

"Well gang, looks like the Cooper Gang is temporally disbanded for now?" Sly stated with a little of his sly personalty in trying to make this a jolly conversation.

"Awwh, does that mean we're done being together?" Murray moans in feeling that he has to no longer be apart of Sly and Bentley's thieving group anymore, even if they are old pals.

"No Murray, that's why I said 'temporally'." Sly patted his hippo friend's shoulder in assuring the guy, they're still friends and their team isn't gonna stay disbanded.

"Well after this blows over, we'll regroup as usual." Bentley stated once they are done competing, they'll get together and continue to do what they do best…stealing from other thieves.

"Great, cause you guys better hope you don't get me in the first pick." Murray spoke off in feeling better and starting to sound like his old 'go-getter' self again. "The Murray, is an unstoppable fighting machine!" He declared himself of being an unstoppable fighting force that can't be taken.

"How about any of you? Feeling nervous?" Sly turned to his five ancestors, seeing if any are feeling a bit worried about this whole thing, now that it's about to begin.

"Like the caterpillar, it has escape the cocoon and transcended itself." Rioichi clapped his hands together in giving an honorary metaphor on the situation of their life.

"Riiiight?" Sly slowly responded in just taking that was Rioichi's way to say, we're good to go.

"We each are ready, the next step is, are you?" Rioichi stated with his serious expression, as Sly Cooper will be tested against those of his predecessors.

"Oh, I'm ready." Sly made a cocky smirk appear on his face, he was ready for this moment.

"Then you shall give thy competition your best shot Sly, for there is no shame for losing." Sir Galleth stated fourth that no matter the situation, win or lose, it's not about winning, but having a fair good time.

"So you wouldn't feel bad if you lost?" Sly asked a bit slyly in wondering how the knight here would feel if he lost.

"Well, I suppose…there would be some, miner degrade feeling in one's spirit?" Sir Galleth suddenly felt a bit lost for where in the thought of himself being put in the same corner, very tricky to handle indeed.

"Don't worry, hopefully, that won't let any of us get down from the other." Sly approached Galleth to state that in any event, they'll just go with what they got, no holding back or thinking negative thoughts to distract them.

"Shot Sly, you just better hope that whichever of us you face, you're up for it." Tennessee Kid stated with his ego shot personality, that Sly best be ready to fight for all his worth against any of them.

"Trust me, I am, and hopefully, when you're up against my teammates." Sly nods in agreement, but gave a warning to his ancestors…that his team of Bentley and Murray, will be harder opponents to take down.

"They pack a punch in Brains & Brawn, I'll give them that." Tennessee Kid nods with a still smiling face in knowing that Sly's two pals will indeed be a bunch to lookout for in this tournament.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg." Sly made a sly joke in how good his two teammates really are, especially when they get serious.

"Eh, whatever the challenge maybe, I'm still too old for any dangerous life-threatening stunts." Salim waved off in stating how his situation of being old maybe a problem if he has to go against life-threatening lengths to survive.

"Why not, isn't that what us Coopers have been doing all this time?" Sly asked off in pretending to kid around Salim for being a bit cranky about the matter here.

"If you've learned what I've lived through & at my age now, it be a different story." Salim sternly scold Sly about what he feel if the young Cooper has experience the stuff this Arabian thief has gone through in his elder years.

"I'll try to make a note of that." Sly nods to Salim and his wise-cracking statements about his day and age, he'll never change.

"(I wonder if I can really get by with everyone here?)" Bob asked off in just looking around, he sees many different raccoons that are his descendants, and begins to wonder….can he even be as good as the new generation?

"No sweat Bob, you're the first Cooper, so you should just do what you normal do, kay." Sly turned to Bob from hearing him sob from feeling unworthy, and gave his spirit a nice boost of confidence.

"(Hugh, do what I've always been doing, okay?)" Bob slowly responded from hearing Sly's encourage words and began to think…maybe he should do what he does best, and he'll be fine, yeah...

"That's the spirit." Sly smiled in helping to give his prehistoric ancestor a hand to not be afraid to try something new.

Sly's teammates saw how much their pal was chatting away with his ancestors. Both knew how great Sly is with his thieving skills, and while theirs are good on a pairing note, what's to say of the famous Coopers that have been well recorded in the Thievius Raccoonus.

"Hey Bentley, what are the chances of us beating one of Sly's ancestors with a ton of experience?" Murray asked the smart turtle if they of a present time period, stand as much a chance against well known Coopers of the past?

"The odds stand alone in my head, but we'll just have to try and see how far we go in this game, okay Murray?" Bentley stated out with his calm and collective expression that both he and Murray will have to see how good they can be against Sly's family tree.

"**Challengers!**" Suddenly without warning, Kortez spoke forth in getting everyone's attention from his voice being heard within the room. "**Round One!**" He issued off in letting the eight competitors know what round they are going in for. "**Face Your Opponents!**" The Master of Games declared that those going into the first round, shall face their random selected opponents.

"POOF!" Then without another warning, a bright flash of white light covered all the thieves in the room, leaving the _Gathering Chamber Hall_ empty.

* * *

**1ST STAGE**

The scene shows where the fight shall commence in, as we look around. It had a few rocky hills and some flat lands to make this mix be something hard for those with 'wheels' to travel on. The sky above was just cobalt blue without any light of the sun or night of the moon. This place shall be known as _Rocky Terrain_, hence the fitting name, for those that need to fight with careful agility & jumping, as well as balance movement.

"**Bentley VS. Sir Galleth!**" Kortez's voice announced off from where two images of the mentioned competitors shall face off.

"POOWFRuvhmmm…." Then from a flashing lightning show, from two bolts took the forms of Bentley & Sir Galleth Cooper, as they were in the stage area of where they need to fight.

"Amazing? Instantly transporting us here to a stage in this place, I find that fascinating if not suspicious?" Bentley spoke off in being bewildered by what happened to take note of his surroundings.

"Save thy trivial matters behind, tis a duel to which honor is at state!" Sir Galleth waved off to the turtle, as he brought forth his cane, ready to do battle.

"Right, I kinda figured that?" Bentley remotely stated in keeping his hands near his wheelchair, he's gotta be prepared. Galleth is one of Sly's knight ancestors, so he'll be a real tough competitor to beat.

While the two opponents prepared to get ready to face off against the other….the tournament still goes on.

* * *

"**Murray VS. Bob!**" Kortez's voice announced off from where two images of the mentioned competitors shall face off.

**2ND STAGE**

Soon the next scene shows where the next fight shall commence, as we look at it's structure work. It looked almost like there was no bottom, but what hang off from an unknown ceiling top was a chain connected to…LARGE CAGES! That's right, there were many hanging cages with one being the main center of attention. This place shall simply be known as _Cage Holdup_, for those that will fight to clash their strength with no way to escape unless they break the cage itself.

"POOWFRuvhmmm…." Then from a flashing lightning show, from two bolts took the forms of Murray and Caveman "Bob" Cooper, as they were in the stage area of where they need to fight.

"Alright! A Cage Match! I've always wanted to try fighting in this state after watching it on wrestling?" Murray responded in seeing what he's fighting in, and boy, has he wanted to try it out like they do on Wrestle-Mania TV. "Alright Bob, looks like it's time to see which of us is a champion? I helped trained you to be a fighting machine, time to see if you got what it takes, to take on…THE MURRAY!" Murray turned towards Bob, stating that it's just the two of them, in this cage, and is raring to see how well this prehistoric Cooper can take on the Brawn member of Sly's gang.

"(If you insist, I will give it my all.)" Bob responded with a little nod and scratchy head in thinking about this, and decided to compete against Murray. "(ARRrughhh!)" Then the Caveman Cooper soon began to make a rush attack towards the hippo.

"BRING IT!" Murray responded in getting himself into a wrestle-position, ready to get this match started now.

As this next contest was about to begin here, the situation was still continuing in who else was being mentioned.

* * *

"**Tennessee Kid VS. Salim!**" Kortez's voice announced off from where two images of the mentioned competitors shall face off.

**3RD STAGE**

The next scene shows us quickly of where the other fight shall commence, as we see the layout. It was mostly a vast amount of dessert sands with only a few stepping circle pad stones that seem to lay out around the place. The skies above were still of a cobalt blue color and the dessert sands seemed more yellow, like it was not nighttime around here. This pace shall be known as _Dessert Pad_, where those that must fight well off the tricky sand & balance themselves on the stone pads, all about using the elements here to one's advantage.

"POOWFRuvhmmm…." Then from a flashing lightning show, from two bolts took the forms of 'Tennessee Kid' Cooper and Salim Al Kupar, as they were in the stage area of where they need to fight.

"Well ain't this place cozier then a ant-lion's pit?" Tennessee Kid spoke off in noticing what kinda setup they've been given to compete in?

"You should be careful, I've dealt with sand before, and I know how to use it." Salim stated off from suddenly performing a trick to make a whirlwind balance him in the center and take up the sand around to give him some protection.

"Darn, and here I thought I had the right stuff from being out in dessert canyons? Guess the two aren't a mix then?" Tennessee Kid yelped off in noticing how his opponent has gotten a new jump on him, he better be careful about now.

As things looked to begin to go off on a little disadvantage for one, the introduction of the last competitors was soon about to come forth.

* * *

"**Sly VS. Rioichi!**" Kortez's voice announced off from where two images of the mentioned competitors shall face off.

**4TH STAGE**

Now we come to the final place were the other last fighters shall commence here, as we obverse the structure. The place was mostly like that of a long extended tunnel with some light escaping from certain parts to illuminate it. This place shall be known as _Tunnel Crypts_, a spot where one must use the shadows to their element of stealth to hide and seek while coordinating the corridors of the tunnels.

"POOWFRuvhmmm…." Then from a flashing lightning show, from two bolts took the forms of Sly Cooper and Rioichi Cooper, as they were in the stage area of where they need to fight.

"Well Rioichi, looks like it's just the two of us?" Sly spoke off from getting his cane out, and got himself ready for a face off here. "So I hope you're ready." He issued in awaiting for his ancestor to bring it on, and show the young raccoon what for.

"Hai, I shall respect your challenge, and come at you, young on." Rioichi spoke honorably forth while getting his own cane out, and by his ninja work, split the cane into two for both of his hands to wield.

"**Let The Contest…BEGIN!**" Kortez announced off from where Sly & Rioichi's area was in, but this message was for all eight challengers to begin here.

And without anymore delay, things were now gonna get really rough here.

"Wooh-Yaaahh!" Rioichi suddenly was using his canes to shoot a barrage of blue shrunken in front of him; the target, Sly.

"Woah!" Sly instantly ducked down to avoid that move with just seconds to spare. Then the young Cooper was now charging up to get near his ninja ancestor. "Hah!" Then in a quick moment when Rioichi was prepared, he didn't see Sly used his cane to go behind and trip the ninja.

"Ugh…." Rioichi yelped from that stunt that knocked him back a bit before backflipping into a standing pose. "Good form, young descendant, now lets see you on the leaping performance?" Once he was done talking, Rioichi was sprinting across the tunnel's sides by the shadows to approach the young Cooper.

"I'm not too lost in not knowing some of your tricks?" Sly made a sly smile, and was spinning his cane in a form to help him block and deflect any oncoming attacks.

"Then try to handle the quick reflexes, of a ninja performing a dance of blades. Hooowaaauhh! " Rioichi was now going on a more offensive strike, and was swinging his canes off in a spinning formation of style and grace of the ninja.

Sly was doing his best to hold off on all those ninja quick reflex moves, until he finally was backed to a corner, not technically though.

"Nice stuff Rioichi, try and give me something extra if you can?" Sly got into another battle ready position, awaiting for what else Rioichi can dish out next.

"Very well, I shall honor your challenge." Rioichi responded in ceasing his earlier attacks, to jump up in charging his cane. "WAaayhh!" Then he soon was coming and swinging his cane down to prepare…a strong attack.

"Woah now!" Sly yelped from seeing this, and immediately turned to run and avoid what almost got him.

"BOOMVhmmm!" Which in truth, was Rioichi's _Charged Canes_ that when they slammed on the ground released a shockwave that totaled a portion of the tunnel. Looks like things here are really taking a swing in the action of who's the best?

* * *

**Back At The Rocky Terrain Stage**

Our focus goes back to where Bentley and Sir Galleth are having their match. Which as we see it, Bentley is trying to use his wheelchair to give him some distance?

"SLASH!" And by distance, we mean from Sir Galleth using his sword that sliced a thin rock pillar in half when Bentley jumped down to a below flat road state.

"Oh man, Sly's ancestor; Sir Galleth is no pushover? Hope he likes grenades?" Bentley stated from seeing how his opponent is coming after him with no holds bound, time to throw a little 'monkey wrench' in the work.

"Beep-beep….beep…" Soon one of the expended mechanic arms from the turtle's wheelchair came out to throw a few explosive grenades where the chasing raccoon came over them without flinching at a trap. "Boom!" An explosion happened near the spot, but then from the smoke, Sir Galleth had brought forth a shield that he used to ram through that attack; the _Shield Dash_ move.

"Oh man, I forgot he had a shield too? HAaugh!" Bentley responded from looking back, his plan backfired a bit, and he soon had to leap off a ridge to grab the other side and begin going further down it.

"Stand thy ground Sir Bentley, is thou feeling thee cold feet!?" Sir Galleth exclaimed off bodily before rushing forth near the edge, used his cane as a javelin pole to leap across towards where Bentley was near, but only after the turtle had a head start.

"A little hard to say, considering I'm in a wheelchair?" Bentley responded to Sir Galleth with being careful of himself, though he made a dry statement of his condition of being unable to feel if his feet were getting cold or not.

Still, now the turtle has to keep trying to get a bit of distance from Sir Galleth. The guy maybe bombastic, but he's tougher then one expects, and Bentley needs to think up a plan to deal with such a foe.

* * *

**Back At The Dessert Pad Stage**

Our next focus is seeing how well Tennessee Kid is doing against Salim in their match. As it shows, Tennessee is hop-skipping across the rock pads to get some distance from Salim's little whirlwind sand storm catching up.

"Woah! Darn, end of the line?" Tennessee yelped in stoping to notice, he's run out of things to jump across? "So it's either run on sand or face an old grump, tough choice?" He quoted to make a humorist pun in what choice to face, both seem hard to deal with.

"Your choice just got tougher." Salim exclaimed in feeling some cockiness, as he prepares to have his technique, the _Whirlwind Attack_, get the cowboy.

"Well I ain't about to stand around doing not…what!?" Suddenly, as Tennessee was about to make a comeback, he yelps from where he stood shook.

And what should happen instead, is that the rock pad was more then what we thought, it was rising upwards?

"Whah..Uagh!" Salim yelped from when he almost had Tennessee, only to have crashed against something hard from the rising sand to fall on his back. "By Aladdin's Beard! What manner is this?" He spoke off to complain in not expecting this trick to have come up.

"Don't know, but now I'm up here, and you're down there partner." Tennessee smiled to give a salute wave off to Salim below, feeling a bit smug that he's gotten out of danger here.

And if the surprises weren't enough, more of the stone pads rose up from the sands to show they were hidden tower pillars that came up from a random moment.

"Rats, and it's a thing I don't like doing; climbing?" Salim sat up to complain in looking at what he's got to deal with now, tall stone pillars in which he's stuck at the bottom.

"Better get use to it, old-timer." Tennessee spoke off when he stood up to get himself ready here. "Cause Tennessee Kid is about to show you what he's made of…" With that challenged quote spoken, he gets his cane-revolver out to take aim.

"Oh boy, this is not good?" Salim yelped from seeing and sensing the danger he is about to face here.

"BANG!" Then Tennessee had gone off to shoot his first shot right below.

"Yikes!" Salim yelped from seeing his opponent launch an attack from afar, as he dodged to his left.

"Bam!" The area where Salim was got blown up from that shot of Tennessee's that really left a mark.

"_**Bullet Barrage!**_" Tennessee announced forth in preparing another gun-technique of his to let off by aiming his revolver downwards. "Bam-Bam-Bam!" Soon below, Salim went off into performing his _Whirlwind Attack_ to give him more speed for his old age body, to quickly slip pass a few of Tennessee's barrage of bullets. "YEEeeeeeeHaaaaah!" Tennessee was really, and we mean REALLY, was like a firecracker, still firing more shots non-stop here in wherever his target below was going.

"By the Suns of the Dessert Sands, is this what youth does nowadays? Shoot & never ask questions?" Salim complained off from still trying to evade a lot of the bullets Tennessee was shooting, he can still keep this up.

"Whelp, that about does it for the little warm up, time to bring on the big shots." Tennessee Kid responded to preparing something extra special to give to Salim below. "_**Big Shot Combo!**_" He announced off his plan to unleash a strong attack of his now. "BANG!" Then he shot a big bullet that was heading on down towards where he aimed at the last spot Salim would head by Tennessee's guess.

"BAMGruvhmmm…." And then the attack fired by Tennessee impacted against the ground where Salim's _Whirlwind Attack_ was leading him, but it canceled that whirling technique out. "GAAAaughh!" Salim made a yelp cry when he wasn't able to defend much against that powerful attack that knocked him into the air. But then at the lucky moment, he brought out his '_Flying Carpet_' to help him gently hover in the air. "Oh, that one really packs a punch to knock even a camel's hump off or two?" Salim exclaimed from a little of his aching moans from what just happened, he'll need to be more careful, he's not as young as he used to be.

At this time, Tennessee was sitting down on the tall pillar he was on.

"Hahahaha, sorry there old-timer, that was suppose to just knock ye're hat off? Hehe…" Tennessee was cracking up a joke about what he was trying to do here.

"Probably, you should have done a better job? For I found something to aid me now." Salim stated from when he rode his flying carpet, he came across some chains off separate parts of the pillar, which means… "Though I hate climbing, got no choice? _Cobra Climb_, it is!" Salim exclaimed off before he was grabbing the first chain, and rapidly climb up the the chain quickly.

"What the…?" Tennessee suddenly stopped laughing to take notice, that Salim was not on the ground or still in midair?

"Next time, try to pay closer attention. _**Magic Wind Attack!**_" Salim's voice was heard, as he rapidly climb from around one chain to appear in front of Tennessee to release a gold storm attack.

"Gaaaugh!" Tennessee never had time to dodge, so he ended up getting hit by that attack by Salim. Things here seem to be going in either opponents way, hard to tell who's gonna win this?

* * *

**Back At The Cage Holdup Stage**

Our other focus is seeing how Murray is dealing with Bob in their match with little space. And as it shows, when in a cage match, do the usual thing…show no bounds, and attack.

"WARrrughhh!" Bob was leading up to charge against Murray with his cane in hand.

"Woah!" Murray quickly made himself duck and cover to avoid this tackle maneuver.

"CLANKfrvuhmmm!" And suddenly, Bob's tackle against the bars had made the cage get pushed backwards from the force of impact while it hang from above.

"Man, we're really shaking up the place?" Murray exclaimed from trying to get his balance, as he was about to grab one of the bars when…Bob grabbed him by with his tail. "Hey, no fair…you got three ways to fight instead of two fist?" He complained off to whine in how Bob was having his tail be helpful instead of the guy's two hands.

"(One must use what one has, right.)" Bob responded off that he's using what he can use, even if his tail to wrap around the hippo to hold him is one where he has his two hands free.

Murray quickly got out of Bob's hold to give the Caveman Cooper his own 'bear-hug' hold. "CLANKfruvhmmm…." From Murray's wrestle-hold, he made Bob fall on the ground, and it made the cage jiggle a bit from the impact.

"(Oh, dizzy?)" Bob responded from feeling himself almost see him rotating back and forth too much.

"If you can't handle the stuff, then you better sit out, Bob!" Murray exclaimed from having Bob in an arm-lock now, he wasn't giving this guy time to react.

"MWAaaugh!" Bobo however mustered all his strength, broke out of the lock, and sent Murray back to smack against the cage. "CLANKfruvhmmm…." The impact was sending the cage to fly a bit upwards from such a throw force.

"Wooh, guess I trained ya better then I thought? Uh-oh…!?" As Murray was still pinned in where he hit, eyes shut, but didn't react fast enough to see Bob was…coming at him for more.

"BASH!/CRASH!" And from Bob's mighty tackle, had Murray's head bust through the bars where he practically was a bit out of the cage.

"Ugh, what a rush?" Murray struggled to get himself up a bit while he was leaning a bit backwards. "And it's a long way down?" He turn to notice how far down the bottomless bottom was, and turn to face Bob. "Okay Bob, the GLOVES…ARE OFF! You've shown me what you can do, now it's time for you to taste…the _**FISTS OF FLAME!**_" Murray responded off in getting up now, as he and Bob stood on the ready, time for this hippo to take off the gloves of holding back. "CLAPS!" The hippo clasped his hands together, causing them to ignite with fire. "POWFrvuhmmm…." And then without another warning, Murray delivered a straight hook-jam right into Bob who retaliated by holding his cane up to take 'most' of the blow that punched him back, but the heat friction still was there.

"BRAWWRruaaaghhh!" Bob was knocked backwards from that strong punch with a burning effect. As he was patting himself to try and cool himself off from feeling the heat. Murray was throwing a few free-punches in making himself look ready and raring to go a lot more in this combat tournament, he's all about being the Strong-Man Enforcer for Sly.

* * *

**Back At The Tunnel Crypts Stage**

The situation here is with Sly trying to give much distance with him and Rioichi, as the latter was chasing him in the shadows in the tunnels.

"Looks like I'm going to have to come up with a strategy to defeat this guy, even if he's my ancestor?" Sly stated from quickly performing his jumping skills across the tunnel in escaping such a fast opponent.

"To be a true ninja, means thinking fast on your feet? HIYaaah!" Rioichi quoted his advice before charging his canes up again to slam them downwards.

"Woah!" Sly yelped from this action, and had to think of something before he got hit.

Suddenly, hidden pillar traps were springing up from the floor, giving Sly a chance to jump or swiftly go around them while Rioichi's attacks were impacted by the blockade.

"Haayh!" Sly suddenly leaped up to hook his cane on a hook above where he dangled for a bit. "Okay Rioichi, here's a surprise move you didn't expect to see coming?" Sly sounded very eager, and then without warning…he became invisible, a trait he learned from one of his other ancestors.

"BASH!" Then without warning, Rioichi's reflexes kicked in to suddenly block an unforeseen attack in the front of him?

"UAaugh…." Rioichi held up his canes to take that unseen attack's impact. "What the…? An invisible attack, but how…?" But by the time he took the chance to study what was about to happen next however…

"HYraaaugh!" Sly had not only rebound himself off the ground from when his first attack failed, but charged his cane again to attack again when Rioichi failed to be prepared.

"GUAaaaughh!" Rioichi yelped and this time, was knocked off backwards by Sly's impressive strike.

* * *

**Meanwhile, Back To Bentley & Sir Galleth's Fight**

Things seem to be getting more intensive the longer it was lasting. As Bentley landed on some solid ground before Galleth would show up.

"Huafhg…Waaugh!" Bentley yelped from when after he landed, duck from when Sir Galleth rushed to strike, but missed the turtle and landed further down below.

"A true knight doesn't quit when he's down. Time for my, _**Catapult Crash!**_" Sir Galleth declared forth in jumping and pulling himself on a hook form on the rock with his cane in preparing himself with his technique.

"Uh-oh, I know what to expect of that attack?" Bentley yelped in knowing about Galleth's strong move, he's gotta be prepared now.

"POOW!/CRASH!" Suddenly, Sir Galleth launched himself from climbing wall hooks from the rocky gorge that allowed him to break through a barrier of stones to appear before Bentley.

"Gotcha!" Bentley responded to having his robotic hands come out and grab Galleth's arms to lift him up in the air. "I had to wait for the moment where I could grab you when your guard was down, Galleth." As Bentley spoke this, one of his robot hands seem to place a strange device on Galleth's armor without him knowing?

"I say, unhand me, Sir Bentley! Or else, I shall disarm thee myself!" Sir Galleth snapped forth against the turtle, as he struggled to get himself free, and so he would by the quick of his blade in his sheath. "SLASH!" Suddenly in strong reflexes, Galleth used his sword to chop off Bentley's robotic hands off.

"Oh man, maybe I should have made those robotic hands more denser?" Bentley yelped in seeing he was in trouble here now, and that next time, he should make his chair's robot arms a bit more weapon resistant?

"CLASHfruvhmm…" Suddenly, Galleth managed to swing his lance cane around to collect it against the side of the turtle's wheelchair.

"Gaaugh….Aaaugh..?" Bentley yelped from when he was kicked down, and he had his back of the wheelchair lying on the ground with him facing upwards.

Afterwards, Sir Galleth leaped up to land near the fallen opponent, held his cane towards Bentley with a gallant knight's expression.

"The die has cast, and the game is afoot." Sir Galleth exclaimed off to wave his free hand off in stating the situation of their battle now. "Thou has fought me bravely despite thy condition of unyielding legs." To him, Bentley fought as best he could, even if his legs are crippled.

"I have to admit Galleth, one of the things I wonder if Sly inherit from you seem pretty slim, but I may have found out what he got from you after all?" Bentley responded in saying there was something Sir Galleth & Sly share something they both have in common with the other….while a hidden calm expression was seen on his face.

"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Sir Galleth narrow his eyes in wanting to hear what Bentley wanted to say of such quotations?

"Being gullible to think it's that easy to take down someone?" Bentley responded with a sly smile on his face while his left hand pressed a button on his wheelchair when Galleth wasn't watching carefully.

"Hugh?" Sir Galleth responded a bit surprise by such words, un-renounce of what was about to happen to him.

"Beep-beep-beep-beep…../CLUMP!" Suddenly, the devices Bentley planted on the raccoon knight were activated, and then they vibrated Sir Galleth's body to the point…he dropped to his knees and used his cane to hold his front up without dropping further?

"Ugh….I am…kneeling? How…" Sir Galleth struggled with his words, how is he doing this when he was not in control? Was this…sorcery?

"_**Gravity Bombs.**_ I placed them on you earlier when I grabbed you." Bentley explained off while he was having his wheelchair use it's hover function to set himself up right. "They'll keep you pin down, and with all that heavy armor on, you won't be able to move about so easily." The turtle had thought of how to get Galleth by using his own armor's heavy weight to keep him in place. And then Bentley even brought out his dart gun to hold it up to him while keeping it near between him and Galleth, even if the guy was pin down.

"Alast, it would seem…victory has left me…and has gone to yonder side of yours, Sir Bentley." Sir Galleth signed in admitting his lost to Bentley, he showed no shame, and admittively surrendered it seemed?

"**WINNER….Bentley!**" Kortez's voice was heard within the stage in announcing the winner of this stage round goes too.

"Click!/Doowvhmm…" Then Bentley turns off his _Gravity Bombs_ that fell off of Galleth's armor by the flip of a switch on his wheelchair.

"Okay Galleth, I've deactivated my devices, you should be able to move now?" Bentley explained to this guy that he can now move again, which Galleth knew was true, he was able to move freely now. "Look, sorry about trying to beat you in such a manner, I know it's not how knights are suppose to play and all, but…." The turtle was apologizing for winning in this state against someone who wanted to fight a more honorable duel, but just as he would have continued, he got cut off.

"Tis quite alright, thou has played a game by matching his wits against a worthy knight." Sir Galleth held up his hand to stop Bentley in commending the act the turtle has performed before him. "It was a pleasure to have fought you, I acknowledge your courage & salutation for your cause, Sir Bentley." Galleth may have lost, but he was acknowledging Bentley's strength with a proud & dignified way befitting that of his character's persona knight theme.

"Galleth…?" Bentley responded amazed by those words, it's also like Sly saying he did okay if the turtle was to have fought against his best pal.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then without warning, Sir Galleth was covered and vanished in a pit of smoke before Bentley's eyes.

"What the…What just happened here? Sir Galleth?" Bentley responded off from where his eyes last saw Sir Galleth Cooper go in that strange manner of disappearance?

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then a flash of light covered Bentley just little moments after Sir Galleth vanished from his sight.

* * *

**Meanwhile, Back To Tennessee & Salim's Fight**

Now we focus on what's going on between Tennessee Kid & Salim. Which speaking of, the elder raccoon had his cane around the young raccoon's revolver gun, as both were fighting.

"Are you always this cranky, gramps?" Tennessee asked off in seeing how stubborn this elder thief was in wrestling against him.

"That depends, are you as stubborn as a camel's rump hump?" Salim spoke off in remarking to this snappy little upstart.

"I barely even know what to say about that?" Tennessee responded in not following what was just said to him, but he knows he was insulted.

"Then don't, cause I got you." Salim responded off with a wise-crack in having this guy right where he wants him.

"Then how's your fancy footwear?" Tennessee made a sly smirk in making a noted fact of Salim's feet wearing such shoes.

"Wah?" Salim responded puzzle to look at his Arabian shoes, too bad that was a bad idea in doing; he got tricked.

"CLASH!/WHACK!" Then Tennessee used the distracted moment to free his cane from Salim's, and then knocked the elder guy off the pillar.

"WAaaahhh…." Salim screamed out from seeing he was about to fall from a height. "FLOP!" Suddenly, Salim quickly summoned forth his _Flying Carpet_ to help him hover in the air. "Feww….close call?" He signed in feeling that if he did that any later, he have hit the sandy ground impact a little bit harder then he like.

"Don't count yourself lucky yet, old-timer? _**Crackshot Technique!**_" Tennessee stated off to wield his cane-revolver to take aim of the guy safely soaring down to the ground on his flying carpet. "Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang!" Then from careful aim work, he lined up where he wanted his shots to go off and hit around Salim.

"Pow-Pow-Pow-Pow!" Suddenly, four holes were made within Salim's flying carpet that left off more air? "WAAAaughh…Gaaugh!?" Salim yelped from taking a faster falling before he crash landed in a dessert sand below that cushioned his blow impact.

Then Tennessee Kid saw a rail line off one pillar and jumped over to do his _Rail Slide_ to get down and check up on his opponent.

"Uaaugh…." Salim was getting up, rubbing his head when he opened his eyes to see…someone's revolver having a good distance at him…closely speaking.

"Had a nice fall?" Tennessee smiled off in making a joke to seeing how Salim had just experienced such a trip.

"Oh fine, I can see where this is going?" Salim shrug off his shoulders while rolling his eyes in getting the bigger picture here. "I give up on this competing stuff, it's too tiring anyway?" He waved off while looking the other way to avoid some staring at him with his and Tennessee's eyes.

"Say what?" Tennessee responded a bit off guard that Salim Al Kupar was just giving up, just like that out of nowhere?

"**WINNER….Tennessee Kid!**" Kortez's voice was heard within the stage in announcing the winner of this stage round goes too.

"Now hold up, ye're sure about this? I thought you nearly had me?" Tennessee Kid raised his revolver away from Salim to ask why this elderly raccoon was just going to give up when he still had so much spunk?

"Very true, but I am already pass my prime." Salim held his mustache in pondering that thought, but brushed it off afterwards. "Besides, I'm already retired, and should let you young thieves a chance." He rested his hands on his lamp to get into an Arabian sitting position.

"Well that's mighty considerate of ya?" Tennessee Kid smiled off in thanking this guy for wanting the more younger competitors have a better shot.

"But the next time we have a match, don't expect it to be this easy when I was going soft on you?" Salim suddenly stood up to give a good scolding to Tennessee Kid that next time around, it's not gonna be an easy fight with him.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then without warning, Salim just vanished in a flash of white light before Tennessee's eyes.

"Heh, stubborn till the end? I reckon you're not too shabby neither." Tennessee Kid Cooper smiled off to tip his hat in seeing how much of a tough opponent Salim Al Kupar really is, don't matter if he's elderly old, he's still a Cooper, through-n-through.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then a flash of light covered Tennessee just a little moments after Salim vanished from his sight.

* * *

**Meanwhile, Back To Sly & Rioichi's Fight**

We're now seeing just what's about to happen with this fight scene here. As Sly is about to make a strong kick start against Rioichi himself.

"HIYaaaahhh!" Now Sly comes up with a charged up cane, as he takes a swing for full force impact.

"BAM!" The contact of the attack was taken by Rioichi that blocked with his two canes, however… "GAaugh…." Rioichi didn't have enough time to fully prepare, and the attack pushed him back.

Both raccoons were fighting at their best, canes smacking, tripping the other, leaping backwards to land an attack. Both planned to use a _Charged Cane_ attack to end this on using the _Leaping Dragon_ technique they know, and only one would win….

"GAaugh!" And then, Rioichi was sent flying backwards from Sly's last attack that was just quicker then the ninja. "Uaaaugh…" Rioichi landed hard on the ground, now looking like he could not stand. "Such strength, as expected of a descendant that has learned my teachings, at such a young age?" He lifted up his head to look upwards to the one that has done well to defeat him.

Sly soon landed on the ground with some grace to his thief stance before standing up.

"**WINNER….Sly!**" Kortez's voice was heard within the stage in announcing the winner of this stage round goes too.

"I couldn't have gotten this good without my family's legacy, and to learn how to be just as good as them." Sly extended a hand with a smile in offering to help Rioichi up, commenting how he's only this good, because of doing his best with his family supporting him, even if they are not close by, he just has a 'feeling' for it.

"You shall indeed be worthy to pass on your own legacy, as many of us, have done so, Sly Cooper." Rioichi nods with a proud smile, as he was helped up by Sly on his feet, the young raccoon before him, shall indeed be worthy to pass on his tales in the future.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then without warning, Rioichi was covered in a bright white light and vanished before Sly's eyes in being widened.

"What the? Rioichi….?" Sly yelped from what he just saw, where did the ninja ancestor of his go off to from that flash of light?

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then a flash of light covered Sly just little moments after Rioichi vanished from his sight.

* * *

**Meanwhile, Back To Murray & Bob's Fight**

Now it comes down to this, the last part of the battles. To which, Bob is still recovering over what happened when he got hit by Murray's flaming fist.

"(Ugh, me cool off now?)" Bob signed in relief, the burning feeling he had is gone, and now… "(Now to fight. Hugh?)" Just as he was ready to get back in the action, he noticed something he didn't expect to see…

"Should have been ready long ago? HAAahhh!" Murray responded off with a sly ego before he was bringing up his _Fist of Flames_ once again to perform that same tactic.

"(Uh-uh!)" But Bob on the other hand, used his hands to grip over Murray's belly to throw him on the ground.

"Gaugh….Ow?" Murray yelped from the impact throw, but once more, Bob was locking his cane over the hippo's top chest and shoulders, restraining movement. "Alright, you think you can hold: The Murray, back? Just wait and see me get out of this?" Murray was exclaiming while he fought to break off Bob's hold, but truth be told, the prehistoric raccoon was able to handle this. "Ah come on, I can get out of this…whah-waaah?" Suddenly, the hippo was yelping when Bob amazingly lifted Murray up over him.

"FROU…/CRASH!" And the raccoon thrown the hippo across to smack against the metal bars of the cage they are in. "(Hooray!)" Bob cheered with a smile of success, he got another lead on beating Murray here.

"Don't count me out yet, Bob!" Murray spoke off suddenly that earn some attention on him.

"(Hugh?)" Bob responded a bit lost and puzzled by that statement?

"Prepare to meet the force of…The Murray, and his famous move around…" Murray declared off from getting up, and preparing his famous move to use. "The _**THUNDER FLOP!**_" As he jumped up into the air while making out his loud battle cry. "POWVvhhmmm!" Soon Murray did a massive belly flop that sent out a shock wave destroying anything around the hippo, even knocked Bob backwards to smack against the side of the cage.

"CRUVhmmmm…." Suddenly, much to the hippo's notice, the sounds of metal bars were beginning to bend to the point of snapping off? "CRACKfruvhmmm…." Correction, the bars beneath Murray broke off from being unable to withstand such heavy and destructive force of the _Thunder Flop_ technique.

"Uh-Oh…? Might 'not' wanted to do that here?" Murray yelped from slowly realizing, he 'might' have out done it with this being a hung cage match with a bottom nowhere to be seen? "WAAAaughhh!" Murray was screaming from feeling himself begin to get taken by gravity that was making him fall.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then without warning, a bolt of lightning struck Murray before he vanished into thin air.

Bob saw this act while he still used his climbing ability to hang onto the bar sides of the cage.

"(Um, did I win Murray?)" Bob asked off puzzled if this meant he won by a temporal condition of an opponent being outside of a ring, or fall out of the cage? He soon got the answer…

"**WINNER….Bob!**" Kortez's voice was heard within the stage in announcing the winner of this stage round goes too.

"(Hay, I won?)" Bob responded a bit happy and proud that he won against his couch that trained him to be back in shape when he was out of shape in the past.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Then a flash of light covered Bob, just afterwards like Murray vanished from his sight.

* * *

**Back In The Gathering Chamber Hall**

Our focus now returns to the same chamber room where the alter stairs was that the Master of Games stood when he was preparing this tournament.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Suddenly without warning in a flash of white light, four of the eight competitors had arrived in the room. They were Bentley, Sly, Tennessee and Bob, each who won their first round, and took notice of those that are here and meant one thing to them: they pass their 1st round.

"Tennessee." Sly responded with a smile in seeing his Western Ancestor was here. "I see you won your match?" He responded with a smile that this guy musta pass his first round, just like him.

"Heck yeah I did, though I was kinda worried how I almost got my tail handed to me by an elderly thief?" Tennessee Kid rubbed the back of his head to honestly say, he didn't expect his fight with Salim Al Kupar to be 'that' tough.

"(I also passed my trail of test too.)" Bob spoke forth in letting the others here know that he also pass when he fought Murray.

"That's great Bob." Sly responded in being happy that even his prehistoric ancestor had won his own round match. "Good to see you're here Bentley, guess we're in the quarterfinals now." Sly turned to see Bentley was also with them, so this means they passed against those they competed.

"While I'm proud of my effort Sly, we have a problem?" Bentley spoke in taking a notice of something being off around here. "Murray isn't here, which means he must have lost in the first round?" The smart turtle pointed out how if it was just him, Sly, & two of the raccoon's ancestors, then the hippo not being here means he lost in the first round.

"(Um, that was to me, sorry?)" Bob spoke with a disappointed expression, feeling that he musta done a bad thing beating the hippo that helped him & was his friend.

"It's okay Bob, you fought and you obviously won, Murray wouldn't hold it against you." Sly came to pat Bob in assuring him, that Murray would not have felt bad in losing to this guy, since the hippo did help Bob become a fighting-shape champion.

"Still, it's not just Murray here, Sly, the others are missing too?" Bentley noted another fact that had him worry of three others missing along side with Murray. "I went against Galleth, but he's not around?" He stated on the opponent he faced, but after winning, the Cooper of the Medieval England was not present?

"I fought against Salim, but darn, it feels quiet without his cranky voice to be heard?" Tennessee Kid stated how he fought against the old Cooper of Arabian, and it felt peaceful without that guy's voice around.

"I managed to defeat Rioichi, but I thought we all would be here, why? Weren't they gonna show up after us?" Sly stated off in being puzzled and concern, even his Feudal, Japan ancestor was not here after he won, what was wrong with this picture?

"POOFruvhmmm…." Suddenly from another flash of white light, who should stand on the alter of stairs in the center of the room; then the Master of Games, Kortez himself.

"**Well Played, Young Thieves.**" Kortez commented on those that have managed to make it here in the room with his boldly announcing voice from this tournament as the hsot. "**You have Survived, Round One.**" He boldly stated how those that have managed to survive their matches in the first round, have now return here as the victors.

"Wait a second, survived?" Sly questioned off a bit puzzled, yet felt serious about this whole tournament's case? "What happened to those that lost?" He asked off in wanting to know, what happens to those that lose the round they fought in.

"Yeah, where's our pal Murray? And for that matter, Sly's other Ancestors?" Bentley approached Sly in wanting this Master of Games, to answer their questions in why they are here, but not the others?

"Ah, peace, thieves, no need to get upset." Kortez spoke diligently to those that were speaking up right in sounding upset over such a manner of what is going on here. "Survived is…merely an expression." He took a moment of his breath to exclaim what he meant to say was but an 'expression' of how to state the situation in a friendly manner of discussing it. "Murray and the other Failed Competitors…." He stood upwards in his standing pose to mention what happened to the others, but...

"Hay buddy, watch what you say, those…competitors, are my family's ancestors." Sly didn't like how this guy Kortez would say Sir Galleth, Salim, and Rioichi were failed competitors when they obviously tried hard.

"Yes, do pardon me for speaking a wrong term, young Cooper." Kortez spoke in correcting himself, as to not upset one of his competitors by his attention to those that were here. "Now for the others you are concern for, they have returned home in their own time periods..safely." He addressed the simple manner that the others that were here, have been sent back to where they belong after losing the Rounds in the Tournament.

"Then can we just make sure they're okay?" Sly asked off with a raised eye of suspicion if that was too much to even see if their friends, family, competitors were fine.

"I'm sorry, but those still in the tournament, can't leave these walls, or else they lose their spot to compete." Kortez sadly issued that at this moment of the process of this tournament, any competitors in it can't leave this place or they may just lose their chance to still compete.

"(So, we can't leave until this is over?)" Bob rubbed the back of his head in asking that they can only leave, when the tournament is finished.

"Boy, that there is tougher to crack then a gold nugget with a golden tooth?" Tennessee Kid responded in finding this hard to handle if they can't leave unless they lose or the whole thing blows over?

"Okay, I've come up with something to give us a clue of our situation, hold still you guys?" Bentley stated from turning to the three raccoons with a device in his hand.

"Why?" Sly asked why his turtle pal would want them to hold still for?

"Just trust me, okay." Bentley assured Sly that what he's gonna do, is something to help them understand the situation a bit better…sorta? "Zoovhmm….beep-beep!" Soon a red scan goes down across the three Coopers, and a beeping noise earns the turtle's attention. "Hugh…?" Bentley responded a bit puzzled, confused, and curious at what he's seeing as the results?

"What's the matter Bentley?" Sly asked in what his smart turtle friend has just uncovered for them, or rather, what Bentley managed to learn from whatever he did with the three Coopers?

"I've done a time stability check on you and your ancestors Sly, and have come to a result at work here?" Bentley stated that the device he used was to check on Sly's temporal stability of a time reading. "Other then Bob being the earliest Cooper before all of you, you and Tennessee aren't showing signs that anyone before you has gone through an event to change your current self?" He explained that besides the Caveman Cooper, any of the other Cooper Ancestors presence hasn't shown signs that effects the one from the Western time to the one in the present.

"(Um….?)" Bob was slowly looking at Bentley in a weirdly lost puzzled face in hearing what the turtle even spoke to him.

"I'm sorry, could you explain that to us again?" Tennessee asked that if Bentley could go over his explanation again, only this time, to make it easier for them to follow.

"In short, the Master of Games said we exist in this _Zeta Prime_ place where time doesn't effect us, we can't tell if anything did happened to the other Coopers? So unless that means we're outside, then…" Bentley was explaining that if something happened to the other Coopers, they can't tell since the place they are in, shields them from time's reality to catch up to them, and if they were to go outside of the structure…

"Those from different time periods, shall instantly leave, and won't return unless I do something about it." Kortez spoke to interrupt in explaining the matter that any who leave his building, will go back to the time period they came from. "That is why you must stay inside and never venture outside this place, for fear that you'll miss out on what's to happen." He explained that for the four still competing, to leave now means they shall miss out on something.

"And that would be?" Tennessee asked with a raised eyebrow in what this guy was going to say next here?

"Completing the tournament, of course." Kortez held out his arms to the ones below him in stating the matter of finishing this tournament he's hosting. "All you must do, is complete the task, and whoever wins, shall claim the prize, and the others, will simply return home where they belong, & everything that was brought will return to them." He explained forth that whoever wins this game, is victorious and the rest will return to their homes in their own time periods with their things that were also taken with them here.

"Then the things that Sly's ancestors did or kept will be return, and history will not change for our time in the present or such other events?" Bentley asked if nothing will upset the time-frame in how history was carried out, otherwise, it lead to disastrous results.

"They won't, for I've made certain, all things will be as they are, and time will not warp out of place." Kortez decreed forth that all will be as it should be, and nothing will be left un-turn.

"(Then that means, everything back in our homes will not be changed?)" Bob asked off curiously if when they are back home in their own time periods, everything will be the same.

"Alright, I'll buy this, I just was worried for my friend and family, that's all." Sly stated to look up at Kortez in explaining that to himself, he only was being cautious for those he cares for.

"I completely understand your desire to think of your comrades & family as your first motive, young thief, but it's hardly much to worry over?" Kortez nods in feeling he follows Sly's method in why he got upset over the matter, but all is well. "They are safe, and as such, you will learn of their whereabouts & see, that I am a keeper of my word." He spoke forth that when all is done, wherever those Sly missed shall be seen again…in due time.

There was some discomfort with Sly and Bentley in wondering if what the Master of Games said is the truth? Bentley seemed a little sad that Murray wasn't here, but Sly nodded his head to have him say in silent 'It's okay, I miss Murray too' kinda message.

"But, think not of the vanquished, my worthy thieves." Kortez spoke forth in addressing the manner of sorrow that was being filled in the air by the others below his alter stand. "Now, you must rest." He issued off a note that it is time that the ones here who pass, must rest to gain their strength. "For tomorrow, you face…**Round Two!**" Kortez slowly was beginning to say and lowered outward his hands to his sides, in announcing that come tomorrow, the four remaining competitors shall go into the _Second Round_ of the tournament.

"Frusuvhmmm…POOFrusvhmmm…" Then from a flash of light from the amulet, it covered all in a bright light. And the next moment afterwards, Sly, Bentley, Bob and Tennessee Kid were gone from the _Gathering Chamber Hall_, and only Kortez was left alone.

"Oh, what a marvelously game." Kortez spoke with a strangely sly smirk hidden on his expression in commenting about the tournament's game being played so far. "No matter who is victorious?" He stated off in feeling that once the game has ended, no matter who shall win in the end… "I win 'all' the prizes!" He boosted to himself, stating that in the end, he shall gain prizes by the time this tournament game ends.

Suddenly, his amulet was glowing bright white, almost reacting to some mystical force? And then if that wasn't strange enough, there were…voices that came from the red amulet when it finished it's glow work?

"HEeelp!" The voices were heard as a mix bunch, and strangely sounded very familiar to us?

"Let us out of here!" A old whiny & cranky voice was heard complaining in wanting to be let out, it strangely sounded like Salim Al Kupar?

"Help! Help! Heeeelp!" A louder voice was heard hollering out to get someone to hear him, he sounded just like Murray?

"Let us out! Let us out, right now foul demon!" A voice snapped in demanding that those inside the amulet be set freed, and he sounded rather like Sir Galleth Cooper?

"Return us outside this prison, you will not get away with this!" A voice exclaimed off about what Kortez was doing, and this one sounded more like Rioichi Cooper?

These voices continued to either cry out or demand to be let out, but Kortez neither bothered or paid any attention to the works of those inside the amulet. But the Master of Games slowly looked to his amulet to give a sneaky expression of a wicked intent towards it…like there was more then he lead on.

"And thanks to this _Amulet Of Sith_, I shall have what I've always wanted to be….?" Kortez spoke forth in wanting to gain something of equally true value from what he holds close to gaining. "To become the Greatest Master Thief the World has ever seen…of all Time. Yes….." He saw his own reflection from the amulet of a hidden evil agenda from his wicked smile on it. And as the light shimmer off of it, the imagines of Salim Al Kupar, Sir Galleth Cooper, Rioichi Cooper & Murray were seen trying to bust out of something? The mysterious of what's going on around here….are still left to be solved?

* * *

**VISION NOTE:** The areas of where the fighters fought, where given names to help describe their themes. Most of it was stuff seen from 'Winner Takes All' from Teen Titans, but the third stage was changed to a dessert then of a water field.

Much techniques of what the competitors used or announced, or was mentioned in the sentence lines, are stuff that they are capable of performing.

Now this here was a **VISION** we felt like it's been ages to get? But fear not, the VISION-KING knows how much more folks wanna see what happens next, & they shall see more. For what comes next will be another long adventure of exciting, thrills, mystery, & stuff to not be boring, no sir, not here. We can **IN-VISION** what will happen next to be a mix of how Sly Cooper performs his sneaky thief works, along with some classic humors, shocking surprises, & much, much more then what you could have expected from a Teen Titans' episode CROSSOVER with these game cast? So just relax, kick back a bit, and enjoy what we got going on around here, for you're about to see the 'Brains' in action. And by that 'quote', it actually means something other then me talking about myself, if that's what most of you thought? No, in fact, we're gonna take it slow, like a 'turtle', and wait to see how things will be played? Till then, see you all next time…


	4. 04: Game Suspicion?

Author's Note: Greetings to all my followers & viewers out there awaiting here. Time for another **ENVISIONED** part of this story we've become attached to. For the "King Of VISIONS" is doing what he can to make this a very interesting present for many Sly Cooper fans. What shall happen next shall be something to **VISUALIZE** that has lots of twist, turns, some unexpected parts in where if you think you know it'll be something like that, it'll show something extra in the pot. And trust me, what I add makes things a bit more interesting, plus it helps to stretch out this chapter a bit more for our entertaining pleasure. So without further delay of anything else, time to see where this goes….and then afterwards, there will be only TWO MORE Chapters to follow, so be prepared. Let's get this show on the road, shall we now...

**Chapter 04) Game Suspicion? **

**Location: Central Dimension, Zeta Prime**

**Empty Chamber Halls?**

At this time, the hallway leads straight towards the chambers were the contestants have since been teleported to their respected rooms. Already, four out of eight have pass the first round, and now once the second round of the tournament begins, whatever happens, will lead to those that shall become closer to being the best. While in this dimension, the entire hall is lit in darkness to allow the competitors to rest up, but some may 'not' be as resting as they are? Some may even be wondering what shall happen soon, and what will take place come the time they wake to compete in the second round. For these questions, we'll need to see what only Bob, Tennessee, Bentley, and Sly, being the four that pass, are doing now. The other rooms where Salim, Rioichi, Sir Galleth and Murray spent in were emptied without their presence…(which as of now, their knew quarters are…less then satisfying)?

* * *

**In Bob's Chamber**

We return to see how the Prehistoric Cooper is sitting on his cave made bed. He was in a serious state of thinking about what to do when the next round starts.

"(Next round, who will I be facing?)" Bob spoke off in thought about what's to come for him, who will he face, is a tough question? "(I guess I can only just do what I know best, and wait and see?)" Bob shrug off his shoulders in feeling he can't really know the answer until the time of the next round begins. So he decides to just lie back on his back, planning to sleep in now.

* * *

**In Tennessee's Chamber**

We see that the Western Cooper was by the bar of his chamber, poured himself a drink, and set the bottle aside. He looked to the liquid that reflected him, as if seeing himself as he is now.

"Whelp, here's to the next round." Tennessee Kid made a toss to himself in what will happen for him soon enough in the tournament. "Gulp, gaaugh!" He gulped down his drink, settle the glass on the table to let off a relief sign from the taste. "Boy howdy, I sure wonder what surprises lie in store for us now?" He replied off with a smile in what else he'll be expecting to see, it's bound to be surprising. After which, he gets off from the bar to begin walking over to his bed to plan on getting his rest.

* * *

**In Bentley's Chamber**

Now we see how the Brains of the current Cooper Gang was working on his computer and other equipment in the chamber to it's full use. Ever since coming to this dimension, Bentley has been hard at work. Trying to get some answers to questions, even to figure out what is going on around here. And it looks like he was hacking to bypass whatever was keeping him from digging any deeper of any tech system Kortez was in using.

"Hmm…something about this doesn't add up, if only I can just bypass this little code to grant access and…." Bentley was almost about to finish that sentence, but then his computer managed to do something; it alerted him that he got through and was in the access point. "What the…I've done it!? I've gotten pass this Three Level Security." He yelped in surprise, he's been trying to get pass Kortez's security, and now he finally has. "Wait a second, what's this? Oh…no…?" The turtle yelped from suddenly seeing something a little more surprising to him then what he was expecting. And without noticing it, he was typing away real fast….something has happened here.

* * *

**In Sly's Chamber**

As of right now, Sly was finished doing some practicing workout before finally deciding to call it quits. He climb into the bed near him, and fell flat on it, planning to just sleep now.

"Well, time for me to pitch in? The next round, I'm gonna pass with flying colors." Sly smiled to himself while letting his eyes slowly shut to let him drift off to sleep now.

Now at this time, the raccoon was turning in to get some rest now. It's been about what seems like an hour or so, and things seemed peaceful….until...

"Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock!" Suddenly in the dark view of the screen, some knocking was heard off of Sly's chamber door. "Sly, hay Sly!" A hush voice sounding like Bentley was heard trying to get in touch with his pal. "Wake up! It's me, Bentley!?" Yep, Bentley clarify that he was the one trying to wake up his friend during the time of sleep.

"TRUsvhmm…" Suddenly from the sliding door that the light enter the room, afterwards, it help our eyesights see that it was Bentley in his wheelchair, as he knocked on the door while looking away at the hall? The smart turtle then turn away from the hall to look up at his friend he woke.

"YAwn….." Sly however yawned from still being under the effects of being asleep. "Bentley?" He focused his tiring eyes in seeing the turtle's figure even when he was half-asleep. "It's kinda late, isn't it?" He stated about how the guy here was calling him out when he was getting some sleep.

"Sly, don't tell me you forgot that time doesn't work here, and it just keeps track in how time moves in our world?" Bentley slapped his forehead in seeing the raccoon forgot about the difference of this place moving with time & keeping time, were done separately.

"Right, my bad? Anyway, just what are you doing?" Sly sheepishly apologize on that account of forgotten memory before returning to the question of what's with Bentley now? "I don't think we're suppose to be out of our…" Sly stated from looking out of his chamber in the hall in noticing, that no one else was up yet since the tournament wouldn't continue till morning for them?

"I can't sleep Sly, and here's the reason why?" Bentley interrupted his friend with a serious matter on his mind. "I tried to call back home on Murray's Binocucom to see if he was okay?" He explained off about what he was doing at the time, trying to reach their pal. "But it's weird, I can't get a signal through?" He stated how that from his tech & gear, he's unable to reach, either Murray is further away, or it's something else?

"Well pal, we are in an alternate dimension, right? So it's…kinda outside your calling plan." Sly shrug off his shoulders in stating to his pal that maybe they are too far off from where simple connections could work from this place.

"But Sly, even with the tech I have in my chamber, it's still not getting through?" Bentley protest out that he's used the best tech equipment he has in his chamber, and that alone, is not even cutting it any closer to reaching their friend?

"Well, it might be that it's further outside our call then you might believe then any of our tech could compare to, right?" Sly spoke in thinking of a more understanding idea of why they can't reach their hippo friend, despite the best tech Bentley has at his disposal.

"Gaaugh…" Bentley was left speechless in unknowing how to even respond to that point taken claim.

"I'm sure Murray's fine." Sly held up his right hand in assuring Bentley, that their hippo pal is still fine. "Kortez said all the other competitors were sent home in their own timelines. All safe and sound." He lowered his hand to smile a bit from his half-sleep state in remembering what Kortez assured him of their missing opponents. "Heck, you even checked to make sure I was fine and if my ancestors were really in trouble, I would not be around, right?" He pointed out how that if his ancestors were in dire need, something would be happening to him, and so far…nothing is wrong.

"Yeah Sly, I know." Bentley responded a bit unsure if things were as 'fine' as they seem. "But I just got a bad feeling?" He issued in how something here doesn't seem to make him feel comfy, even in his safe shell. "There's something weird about this game?" He looked to his right in feeling concerned about this tournament, it may not be as simple as they believe.

"What do you mean?" Sly asked his friend in what he was getting at here?

"I might not have mentioned this, but…if you exit outside this building, then if any harm did come to your ancestors or something happened to them, you might not be here?" Bentley spoke with much concerns and worries that while Sly is fine in this structure, once he leaves, something could effect him by the way of an event to his ancestors. "That's how whatever is cast over this place, is protecting you, but might also be trapping you from leaving after Rioichi, Sir Galleth & Salim did?" He did much research in figuring out, that this place is protecting Sly from time's effect, but might even keep him prisoned so he can't leave the place either. "Plus, I also did a little 'digging' around of the Master of Games himself, and found something interesting about Kortez." Bentley spoke with a serious eye expression that he's come across something about their host.

"Wait, you found record of a guy that exist in another dimension? How's that possible?" Sly raised an eyebrow in confusion, how could their be records that Bentley found if Kortez wasn't from their place?

"It isn't, unless he's not from another dimension, but from our time?" Bentley shook his head in exclaiming that Kortez may not be from 'this' place, but from where he, Sly and Murray originated from.

"Okay, now this is catching my attention?" Sly spoke with a sudden interest in what his turtle pal was trying to say.

Soon Bentley setup his laptop to begin showing some flashes before Sly's eyes. Took some typing for him to get a few things running, but it was only a matter of time before the turtle had everything all set.

"Okay, I've done most of the research from the equipment in my chamber, but strangely, I can still access Interpol's databanks?" Bentley informed Sly of what he was recently doing at the time, and that he's been able to get a connection hookup.

"Anything about withdrawing an account?" Sly smiled to make a little joke comment since Bentley was talking about getting into a databank, which is kinda like a bank, only by data.

"Ha-ha…Now's not the time for jokes Sly, listen…?" Bentley sternly told Sly about the situation calls for their serious attention. "Kortez's real name…is Korean Tezzler." Bentley shows a picture of Kortez as a young bat child, looking kinda scrawny and whimsy. "The guy was said to have started as a young child, born with a skill of…" As the turtle was about to go on from the revealed name of their host to the part of his background.

"Of what?" Sly awaited for what Bentley wanted to say of what Kortez's skills were when young?

"That's just it, he didn't have 'any' skills 'too' important to be taken as noticed?" Bentley shrug off his shoulders to simply state how Kortez was not much seen as 'someone' important, by his surroundings & spectators.

"Care to fill in the blanks?" Sly raised an eyebrow in not following what Bentley was trying to get at here?

"In short, he had no skills in sports, gymnastics, he was only good with making a few machines work right with some brain work. And in a way of speaking, he was picked on for not being apart of the 'cool' group?" Bentley sadly explained how Kortez's past was not too much of an experience where he was least likely, an unpopular guy.

"Don't tell me you're reminiscing yourself with this guy, Bentley?" Sly asked off in thinking how Bentley was almost putting himself in this other guy's shoes?

"I hardly would fill pity for this guy, since we grew up in different environments, and also….cause there's something else on his file." Bentley decline such a statement while bringing up another part that should earn their focus. "When growing up, he seen cool, dramatic, and in any rate, thief films staring in which the bad guys look cool and all others are fools?" He stated how when Kortez was much younger, he saw films that showed the 'cool' outlook on people, especially on thieves.

"Hugh, wonder if we caught up to that style, only being more, honor among thieves." Sly thought over if what he was doing is very similar to movies, only with their own style to it.

"Believe me Sly, if movies were made to show that, would anybody be 'that' interested?" Bentley dryly rolled his eyes in how seeing films about honor with thieves might not be what certain folks like to see that's not enough action involved. "But according to this, Korean studied under acting, and learn to mimic movement for live-theater performance. He was the top best of the game." From hearing and seeing the pictures on the screen told a lot of Kortez's story, maybe more for the current host job too. "But while having such a talent, he also craved playing video games." Bentley pointed out that even someone like Kortez loved to play some video games.

"And let me guess, they were all fighters, melees, and tournament games of violence?" Sly rolled his eyes in having a good guess, that Kortez presently, is doing all 'this' base on what he loves most.

"Oh yeah, the guy was upset over that." Bentley noted the fact that their host has a huge craving for such games. "But he also had a hankering for playing a Dungeons & Dragons game filled with mythological senses of combatants & magic." He explained another thing that was not noticed of where Kortez also loved to have another game theme in the mix. "In time, he used both his favors of acting & mediaeval performances to sell his show biz? But in over time, folks got bored and moved on, and he lost his way to performing some crimes until Interpol caught up to him and thrown him in jail for the time being." Bentley explained how Kortez went from a big shot, to just a criminal before he was arrested by Interpol by in their own time period.

"So what happened afterwards?" Sly asked in wanting to know, whatever happen to this guy Kortez after his arrest.

"He was released on good behavior, and he seems to have gotten a job working in studios as an aid technician, seeing he learned how to follow up working with machines to pull off his shows?" Bentley explained the matter that has later taken place in showing what happened to Kortez later on. "After that, he just up and vanish one day without a word? And the weirdest thing is….it was 3 months before Dimitri's case came up that caught our attention?" The smart turtle pointed out that not only did Kortez disappear on that day, but it was just before Dimitri had a problem of vanishing studio stuff by white light works?

"Wait, you're saying our host; Kortez, is mix up with swiping stolen studio sets? Why?" Sly held up his arms in trying to get what's going on here, and it sounds very complex in how it's going.

"That's the piece of the puzzle we just can't seem to figure out? We need evidence?" Bentley shook his head in sadly saying that they have no proof of such connections. "But it was read in Kortez's profile that in his crime's past, that he aided in illegal genetic experiments to earn extra money, even to himself, but the only thing it did him was move his wings off his arms? And, his craving for medieval games got him to study magic, such like the dark arts?" Bentley explained off another bit of facts concerning what Kortez was doing, and why it was hard to find and recognize him through Interpol's databanks? He's basically changed himself so much, one could barely tell Korean Tezzler to Kortez, the Master of Games here?

"Hugh, a guy with a hankering for acting while being cool on appearance, following love for mediaeval age stuff, a technician with tech, and thrown in genetic experiments, plus studying to use magic of the dark arts, sounds like a bad combination of the types?" Sly responded off in counting down the facts with a sly ego of making it sound historical, even at this moment.

"Sly, this makes matters a lot more serious then we thought? If Kortez is plotting something, why did he go through the effort to gather up us & your ancestors to put on a tournament?" Bentley exclaimed that from so much stuff in what Kortez is doing, why on Earth does he want Thieves in this Tournament he's putting on?

"Hugh, well when you put it like that?" Sly thought over everything Bentley has said to him, it all makes perfect sense in this case. "I guess it couldn't hurt to look around, thief style." He stated, as he was preparing to leave with his turtle pal smiling that they can begin some investigation….until… "Wait a minute?" Sly suddenly stopped to think for a moment in what came to his mind. "I think I know what you're trying to do here?" He stated out from turning to look back at Bentley with some hidden expression of suddenly catching onto some 'hidden' plot.

"Um, pardon my asking but….what am I doing?" Bentley asked off puzzled in not knowing what Sly says he knows he's up to?

"You're trying to catch me off guard like last time, like you did in our battleship game." Sly pointed to his friend in suddenly remembering what Bentley once did in their last game before they came here.

"Wait a second, I am?" Bentley responded even more puzzled and confused, where was Sly getting to with this assumption?

"Sure, and here's the download of how you want it to go?" Sly spoke off in making himself look to have figure out what's about to happen here. "We'll go 'investigate', and be up all night, and find nothing." He stated from how he pictures them searching around until they find nothing out of the ordinary. "But in truth, you'll have used a dummy robot to keep up an appearance, so you rest to charge yourself up while I don't get any sleep." As the raccoon was stating this, a chibi picture of Bentley was show to be a robot-decoy while the real one was close by, fully rested while a chibi Sly's picture showed him tired out.

"Hugh! Say 'What' now, Sly?" Bentley yelped utterly surprised that Sly even say such a thing to him?

"Then when round two starts, I'll be fighting fatigued." Sly stated to lean to his turtle pal in imaging how in the second round, their chibi forms, he's tired out while Bentley is now refreshed. "And you'll be that much closer to winning the prize." As he pointed this out, after Sly's imagine barely made any effort with his punch on the opponent and the image of Bentley was seen using his robotic arms to simply 'flick' the tired out raccoon image off with the words 'K.O.' appearing over it like some video game.

"No way Sly, for real. That hypnosis is the craziest thing I've ever heard you say about me?" Bentley held up his right hand in speaking on his defense that he was being serious about this whole thing. "I'm just worried about Murray, come on, winning isn't everything, that I try to trick you by cheating?" He tried to explain to Sly that he's only worried for their friend, and that winning isn't everything while also stating about not going to cheat to win here.

"Right? Says the guy that said we had to cheat a few bad guys in our line of work." Sly crossed his arms in making a sly smile in remembering what he, Bentley and Murray did in the past, that they couldn't win honestly, so they had to cheat instead.

"Okay, to-shave there, I forgot about that one?" Bentley responded off in completely defeated in remembering one of their stunts in the past. "But seriously, would I stoop that low, this game is more serious Sly, not some simple video or game board? Our lives maybe at stake." He was pleading that this case called for more serious attention then they even believe. "Besides, have you ever recall I even tried to be funny much or even told much a joke, being the serious Brains of our group? You know, that's mostly Murray's thing." He tried to speak more clearer reason for the raccoon to understand the turtle's point that he never lie when things were this serious, and that's the truth.

Sly thought over what Bentley said in his head, and in the sense of it all…the guy wasn't far off. Bentley was never into joking around, he always scolded Sly of his careless acts and to take things seriously, so….

"Okay, I see your point pal?" Sly nods with a smile in seeing that Bentley here was right, he wouldn't joke about cases like this.

"Good, cause I would have had to inform you, that our chambers are design to make sure we get enough rest to be at our best when we compete." Bentley nods in seeing Sly believes him and isn't making this up, as he even states how as long as they rest in their own chambers, they'll be fit and fine for competing. "I don't get why Kortez is doing all this, it's not like someone to help make us be in top condition for good sport measures?" The smart turtle shrug off his shoulders in being lost in whatever the Master of Games was planning…as that's something they need to find out.

"Alright Bentley, I guess we're gonna have to do a little…undercover work?" Sly nods with a smile and ready expression, as he got his cane out to help him aid in this little job they got coming.

* * *

Soon things changed to where we see the dark hallway where it lead to different places in this building. During the moment, we see a familiar raccoon thief was sneaking around, trying to keep himself hidden while exploring. It was Sly Cooper alright, and he was doing some reconnaissance. He brought up his Binocucom to look around while from it, picture screens of himself was seen on the right, and on the left, was Bentley.

"Hey Bentley, I'm about to enter the next corridor, but I'm still puzzled?" Sly spoke off in the silent radio contact with his turtle pal listening in on what he's about to do here. "If you're suspensions are right about Kortez, why didn't we get the others?" The raccoon thief wanted to know, why they didn't get Tennessee Kid & Bob on the action if Kortez was not as he seems?

"Because Sly, we need 'hard' proof evidence. Just going on a 'whim' will do us no good." Bentley shook his head that they can't involve others when they can't give enough evidence to prove otherwise. "Besides, if I'm wrong, then we'll all lose out in this game that was actually…'friendly tournament', to begin with?" He literally made the note of sarcasm of being in the tournament and if they are all caught, no one wins, and who's fault would it all be...Bentley of course.

"Since when have you 'ever' made a miscalculated error, Bentley?" Sly raised an eyebrow in pondering the thought of the smart turtle making so much as a mistake in his life.

"Never-mind that, just keep looking for any signs of something that catches your attention?" Bentley changed the subject for them both to continue to try and keep out of sight while looking for clues.

Sly continues searching around any place in this building, but so far, no doors were even remotely seen leading to the outside; weird? So that left the window parts of the building, which Sly used his cane to swing off of the lamp post to get more climbing work up to the high point of the closest window he could get too. And from there, did he finally see outside was more starry night skies, but there was more, some electric sphere field was enshrouding the area they were in?

"Hay Bentley, is this what I think it is?" Sly asked by his com-link communication, as from looking out one window to see the neon barrier that covered the outside part of the building.

"It might be the thing keeping you and your ancestors from the rules of time Sly, better try my experiment to see if I can track something that passes it, goes back into it's proper time period?" Bentley responded in thinking they may have found what they were trying to located, and now, it's time to test the results of what can happen?

"Whatever you say?" Sly shrugs off to say in seeing that they'll have to put this barrier thing to the test then.

Soon Sly takes out four zip-block bags contacting different items that seem to fit time periods listed on them? Though he couldn't see what was inside them, he soon toss them against the barrier field, saw them get zapped a bit, before instead of being fired to dust, were faded in a white light flash. After that display was over, did the raccoon contact his pal on what has happened by their com-link.

"Okay Bentley, what was it I thrown in that thing?" Sly responded from asking his smart friend in what he did just now, what was it suppose to have done?

"Hold on and I'll tell you?" Bentley responded with a serious face in where he was while trying to gather some data on his side of the mission. "What, is it…Sly! I can't trace them back?" The turtle yelped form showing a shock expression that something happened, he can't trace what he's trying to track?

"What do you mean?" Sly asked off lost by what Bentley just told him?

"Each of those three items were something from Rioichi, Sir Galleth and Salim that was off their clothing that I picked up from their emptied chambers." Bentley explained that what was the three out of four of those were things belonging to Sly's three ancestors. "And according to the read out, they're not around no more?" He rubbed his head puzzled in seeing he was not getting anything that read in their time period zone?

"Then what about that four item I thrown in?" Sly questioned off the four item they had that was used besides the other three.

"That was Murray's leftover burger meal, don't ask?" Bentley responded off before asking that Sly not question that part of why he did use such an old meal of their pal. "Anyway, that one was the only one I can still trace, and the year it's dated is in our time period?" He explained that for some reason, Murray's item is in their correct time period, and that's all.

"Then it looks like we really are in another dimension?" Sly responded off in thought that they must be in a different place entirely?

"I hate to say it…but, I might have misjudge this?" Bentley sadden himself in feeling like he's let Sly down on a 'wild goose' chase here.

"It's okay pal, we all make mistakes? Want me to keep searching for any other clues while I'm here?" Sly responded in sounding not so distress over what's happen, and offered to continue to look for anything they missed out on?

"No Sly, maybe we'll have to try and see what happens in the next round if we wanna learn anything of what's happening here?" Bentley shook his head 'no' that they may as well call it quits for now, and find out more during the active tournament part.

"Right, a place you can't leave so easily, only our host can help us out of this mess? I'll be right over?" Sly nods in understanding that with Kortez running the show, they have to play by his rules…for now.

* * *

Once Sly meant up with Bentley, both talked over about what little they found out, and decided to chat more before the start of the next round. Soon after Sly returned to his chamber room, Bentley was now moving off on his own. However, he instead took a different route from where his room would be, and headed down another corridor. As he was moving, he made sure his wheelchair would be in a stealth function stage for quiet workings.

"Well it looks like I'll have to try a different approach here then what Sly could have done?" Bentley exclaimed in feeling a bit sorry from what's happened now, and must try to find the answers…on his own.

Bentley was using his infer-red scans from his binocucom to give him a stealth way to search without arising suspicion. Now the turtle was approaching a spot in the hall where he was coming out of the corridor area, only to turn to his right down another path. Everything was going all quiet like, nothing out of the ordinary…except for one thing; a sound?

"Wait a second, I hear something? But it can't be Sly, nor Tennessee or Bob?" Bentley nearly yelped from hearing some unfamiliar noises, and sounding close by. "I better do what I keep telling Sly to hid in the shadows…so to not be seen." He instructed himself before rolling his wheelchair deep in a shadowy corner of the hall.

"WRusuvhhmmm…." And then suddenly by a feet of surprise, what was passing Bentley was….a whirlwind of sand? This strange phenomenon went down the other hall and from the light projected a shadow of it…and someone in the center to be riding in it? All while Bentley creeps himself out of the shadows to stare curiously…at what he saw?

"A whirlwind like that, isn't possible indoors unless…Salim Al Kupar?" Bentley responded with a narrow eye expression, could that have really been Salim, he is the only one that can produce his _Whirlwind Attack_ like that? "But wait, if he was sent home in his time period, why is he still around? I wonder if the others like Murray are also with him?" There were many questions on Bentley's mind, and the only way to get answers to them…is to find out.

* * *

Now the scene changes to the _Central Chamber_ all lit up, where the whirlwind of sand was being driven into the place…by the figure from where the light reflected of the two's shadows. But also during the moment, something very small was driving a bit around on the floor. It was a green model type RC Car that was driving itself with a camera lens to send feedback to it's controller. To which as it turn around a spot in the shadows, was recording what it saw.

As the controller of the RC Car was none other then Bentley, as he was using the controls to give it commands while hiding just around the corner to the chamber area.

"Okay, lets see what we got here?" Bentley addressed the manner of what's to be taking place here.

From a vid-screen from the wheelchair, Bentley's camera from the RC showed the _Central Chamber_ room, and the focus of the whirlwind with the figure riding inside. As we return to the very room that the RC was focusing the lens camera to zoom it's focus on the shadowy individual before it & it's controller. It wasn't long before after a few short moments, from the camera screen, the shadowy figure riding in the whirlwind was….not Salim Al Kupar but…..KORTEZ!?

"WHAAaa!" Bentley on his side yelped from the sudden surprise of seeing Kortez perform Salim's _Whirlwind Attack_, it was almost…unbelievable?

The RC Car reacted to it's controller's shock reaction by ended up running backwards a bit before stopping suddenly.

"Magnificent." Kortez responded in how he was handling himself in using the _Whirlwind Attack_, as if enjoying such control over it. "Absolutely Magnificent Prizes!" As he stated this again, he started to cease the use of the _Whirlwind Attack_ to land back on his feet, as he smiles in commenting about the 'prizes' in his quote sentences. "Salim's _Cobra Climb_ skill, _Magic Wind Attack_, _Whirlwind Attack_, and _Flying Carpet_." Kortez was performing the moves Salim can do, climbing up any rope or chain, even perform his gold sandstorm or whirlwind attack, to even his own flying carpet ride. "Rioichi's _Ninja Spire Jump_ & _Leaping Dragon Technique_ skills, & firing blue shurikens & release shockwave attacks." He was suddenly able to perform each of the skills, suddenly bringing out Riocihi's cane to perform blue shurikens & charge them up to release a shockwave. "Galleth's _Catapult Crash_ skill & _Shield Dash_, _Cane Combo_ & _Cane Landing Attack_." The guy even performed Galleth's move to summoning a shield & use his own lance cane for attacks. "Murray's Brawn & Driving Skills, and his _Fists Of Flames_ & _Thunder Flop_!" Kortez managed to even perform signs of Murray's _Thunder Flop_ and ignite his fist, he had them recognizable moves. "Now that the vanquished are in my possession…their abilities are now 'Mine' to command!" Kortez gazed at himself in rejoicing the moment to hold up his arms in declaring that he has the abilities of all those that competed. "I can hardly wait to see what I win in Round Two?" He exclaimed in feeling excited to see that when _Round Two_ of the tournament begins, who out of the four, will win the two matches so that the two losers will be vanquished and he'll have their abilities as well.

"Hate to break this to yah, but there's not gonna 'be' a Round Two." A sudden voice interrupted Kortez's moment of plotting to say that there won't be another round to be played out, which made the Master of Games take noticed that he wasn't alone.

Behind the frowning Kortez, he noticed that standing, or rather, in a wheelchair, was Bentley. The turtle used a controller to bring his RC Car near him while the guy looked where much serious and upsetting expressions were focus over this host. Kortez's little scheme has been seen through, and now Bentley plans to stand up to this creep and stop his evil plans.

"Game over, Kortez. I've seen what you're plotting now." Bentley issued off from holding his dart-gun, ready to stop the revealed villain here before he gets away.

"The game is never over, young thief?" Kortez turned around fully to make a quoted remark about how the game here…is not over yet. "But I'm afraid to say, that you are Disqualify!" Kortez responded while he was matching a circle walk to get his opponent by surprise, as he soon held up his arms in announcing that the turtle has lost his participation in his tournament now. "_**Thunder Flop!**_ HRUAaarugh!" He shouted off before jumping up and coming down and… "BOOMFruvhmmm…" Then in that instant of doing a belly slam on the ground, caused the entire area to create a shock wave that stretched out…even to Bentley's side.

"GAaugh!" Bentley yelped from being too close to the villain that knocked him off into the air. "Guuuagh…." Then the guy fell on his backside with his wheelchair, but luckily, his robotic arms pitched in to sit him up straight a bit. "Oh man, that'll be hard to shake off? Now I see why Murray warned me of that technique of his?" Bentley could see, this wasn't gonna be easy, especially when he just got served by a move that his hippo pal was famous in using against their opponents in the past?

Then the turtle had to quickly dodge out of blue shrunken throws that almost got poor Bentley.

"_**Magic Wind Attack!**_" Next was Kortez unleashing a magical whirling wind attack that suddenly took the shurikens to spin around.

As Bentley managed to use his hover functions, he took a notice of Kortez levitating off the ground with both a _Whirlwind Attack_ & _Flying Carpet_ combo.

"Time to end this!" Bentley made a serious face, as he made his robotic arms come out to start throwing his supplies of grenades, no matter which type, so long as they cause some damage to Kortez.

The grenades were vastly approaching, but as they were coming to Kortez's chest point….something happened?

"Heheheh-Hahahahahah!" Kortez at this moment, was letting off a cackle in actually not feeling feared at this moment.

"BOOM! KABOOM! BAMFruvhmmm!" It got even stranger, when the grenades made implosive impacts near the amulet, but nothing was pushing Kortez back, or look to have done any harm?

"FRsuvhmmm…." Then from the amulet during Bentley's attack, let off two energy straps swirling pass the turtle's barrage of grenades.

"WHahahah-Hahahahahah!" Kortez even continued to laugh with an evil cackle while Bentley was about to meet an unexpected surprise.

"Naugh…what is this?" Bentley yelped from something grabbing him, the two energy stripes soon made contact on him.

"WHahahah-Hachahahaaaahhh!" Kortez laughs maniacally in seeing the turtle's wheelchair device still try to attack him with grenades, but his amulet was unleashing it's force to grab Bentley.

"Whah, hhaugh….gotta warn Sly and the others before…." Bentley was slowly being taken up from the ground, wheelchair and all, as he was worried, and was about to use his Binocucom to warn his friends… "WAAAAughhhh!" But too late, as the turtle let off a scream from his whole body was suddenly sucked into the amulet to vanish without a trace.

Soon Kortez lands on the ground, dispelling his abilities (that he's taken) to smile at his amulet swirling with three ropes of light. Then the ropes vanished into the amulet, as the glow left to return to it's natural red color.

"Never challenge the master?" Kortez bodily declared in letting Bentley (who is in the amulet) realize the error of his action against him. "I always win." As he stated this, from his back came robotic arms similar to Bentley's wheelchair, plus hover & booster features that were originally from the turtle's chair, plus Bentley's own dart gun in hand.

"Fropvhmm…BAMGruvhmmm…." From a toss of the robotic arms were grenades that exploded that the Master of Games smiled in trying out his 'newest' gain ability.

"Now with Bentley's Brains & Gadgets, I'm another step closer…." Kortez spoke this off from ceasing his use of Bentley's robotic arms in quoting, his gained abilities. "To becoming the ULTIMATE Thief…of all Time! Whahahah-Hahahahahaaahhh!" He soon broke out into an evil cackle that filled the scene until everything faded out from here. Now with five thieves and their abilities his, only three competitors now remain…which will he gain next, makes it all the sweeter.

* * *

**Location: Inside The Amulet Of Sith**

**Moments After Bentley's Absorption**

The entire area was an empty field of ruby redness, shrouded with mist all over. There appeared nothing, yet everything all around this place, and then some. But soon something of a shadow appeared that soon came to the picture before revealing himself to be….a turtle in a wheelchair?

"Gaugh…." Bentley yelped from his landing out of nowhere, just after his suction stage from Kortez. "Where…where am I?" As he spoke with a daze phase, his wheelchair used it's robotic arms to push himself into a stand/sitting position to look at his surroundings.

"Bentley! You're here?" The sound of Murray came to Bentley's surprise, as the turtle turn to see who would rush up to him…then his hippo pal.

"Murray, you're here?" Bentley responded in feeling overjoy that he's glad to see Murray again. "What about Sly's ancestors?" He then asked off in where Sly's three other ancestors were if Murray was here.

"Over there?" Murray pointed behind him for Bentley to see others coming from the misty plain; Rioichi Cooper, Sir Galleth Cooper, and Salim Al Kupar were present and accounted for.

"Rioichi, Sir Galleth, Salim, you're all present." Bentley responded in being thankful to see these raccoons again, just as much as he was for the hippo.

"We're sorry, were you expecting just the hippo?" Salim remotely quoted in what Bentley was expecting to find was his missing friend Murray then the other thieves?

"Tis good to see an ally indeed, though thou might have been better off then thee?" Sir Galleth proclaimed to be glad to see a friend, however, it would have been better under different circumstances.

"Hai, now you too, are in the clutching of that we were so blindly fooled." Rioichi nods with a serious manner that now, they are all trapped by a villain's hold.

"You mean about Kortez and this tournament he's doing, yeah, I just got the memo?" Bentley nods in following up in what's going on with this game and Kortez's hand in it.

"So he trapped you too?" Murray asked off in understanding that his best pal got taken by the Master of Games?

"Yeah, and I saw something crazy? The guy was using your abilities, like his own?" Bentley nods with a sorrow face while stating how he noticed Kortez using the abilities of those here.

Now shock filled the air as everyone suddenly went wide eye in hearing…their skills, talents, and their abilities; were being misused.

"No way! The MURRAY'S SKILLS…Are His OWN!" Murray boldly declared that no one should be using his moves, except for him of course.

"I know it sounds weird, but I saw him perform all your skills & techniques. He even performed your _Thunder Flop_, Murray." Bentley nods in seeing everyone start to feel discourage over what's happened, he even saw Kortez use a move that's Murray's thing.

"NOT MY _THUNDER FLOP_!?" Murray cried out loud in horror to stare at his pal in disbelief, that can't be true, it just can't be?

"Yeah, and I gotta say…it's a force to be reckon with? Believe me, I felt it aching all over?" Bentley nods to say while rubbing his neck, stating how powerful Murray's move was against him.

"THAT TEARS IT! Wait till I get my hands on that creep? I'll bust his gut out for stealing…The Murray's move!" Murray gripped his fist to exclaim in his fury, what he do when he catches Kortez for stealing something of his.

"And you say he could perform ours as well?" Salim asked the smart turtle that the host can even use the other members of the Cooper Clans' techniques.

"Yeah, he used your _Whirlwind Attack_, and I thought it was you, but it was just him trying out his new 'prizes', he claimed?" Bentley nods to note off that at first, he thought it was the real Salim, but it was Kortez using the elderly Cooper's move. "He used all the skills you could do, Salim." He pointed off in stating how now the host can do about all the things the Arabian Cooper has been know to perform.

"By The Suns of Arabia! Stealing a thief's own moves is strictly unacceptable unless pass down!?" Salim snapped off annoyed and furious, that someone stole his teachings, and they are family secret too.

"Indeed, a ninja's secrets are his and only his family's secrets to be kept." Rioichi nods his head with a serious face that stealing something of another, is prohibitive...

"Tell us, Sir Bentley, how was thou came to being here?" Sir Galleth asked off in how the turtle was brought to being in this place where they are in.

"Well, his amulet glowed, and captured me, and brought me to him before it suck me? And the next minute, I'm here?" Bentley rubbed his chin in pondering over what happened to him before stating how his situation happened before he got here.

"By Merlin's Talismans, could it be…" Sir Galleth responded in almost utter shock in suddenly thinking of unimaginable thoughts here. "He's found a magical amulet to give the fiend such power?" What he exclaimed was not far from the truth, the villain in question has an item that can do just that.

"I seem to recall history telling of a powerful artifact that could indeed….take the skills of others, as their own? After they have been weakened?" Rioichi was more serious in thought in trying to recall a moment that history said, of such an item?

"So you're saying, Kortez has it?" Murray spoke off in thinking these guys believe Kortez has some mystic amulet that took them and is using their skills?

"Yes, and I think I may know what it is…?" Salim spoke off with a very stern expression in not liking what he's about to say. "The Amulet of Sith." He exclaimed off with a serious motion in what amulet item is called that has taken them by surprise.

"What is it?" Bentley asked off in never hearing of such an item till now?

"Nothing good, that's what it is." Salim sternly snapped off to tell Bentley this while going on. "It was last recorded as an object hidden by Slytunkhamen Cooper I, the creator of the Thievius Raccoonus. For the object was 'too' dangerous to be kept by our family, and left hidden away." He explained that the object in question was meant to be hidden, and by the creator of their Thievius Raccoonus because it was a terrible treasure of the worst kind.

"Hai, I too, have read of scrolls depicting the terrible tales of such jewel?" Rioichi looked to the others in addressing the matter of hearing of the amulet & it's workings. "The Amulet of Sith is nothing of possession of jewelry or anything else, it's powers are ancient to even the ninja?" He noted the fact that the jewel was 'too' unusual that it's secrets, surpass that of even ninjas teachings.

"Ah yes, I too have heard of thy legends of Sith's Amulet, and how many villains lost their lives to find it?" Galleth nods in looking upward in recalling the days, other fiends went after such a black treasure. "Thous tragic, no greater harm was ever befallen to those I've watched over." He felt while it was ashamed many evil hearts were gone after failing to find the treasure amulet, no harm ever befall him.

"So like….this amulet is found, and now we're stuck here?" Murray scratched his head in guessing, with Kortez having found such an amulet, they are now in this mess.

"I think there might be a way out? If we got in, then of course, we can get out?" Bentley spoke with a sudden idea that brought some smiles to the others faces, but… "However, the problem lies in how? I tried to attack after being vaguely weaken, but none of my grenades worked, and brought me here after the Master of Games, said I was disqualify?" He concluded that he was brought here when he found out the true purpose of the games, and was attacked & captured afterwards.

"Perhaps, that is the meaning?" Rioichi held up his left hand to point off what Bentley said, is the key to his mystery.

"Pry tell, have you solve thy riddle?" Sir Galleth turned to Rioichi if he's figured out something to aid them?

"No, but Bentley-san lost, because our opponent said he was excluded?" Rioichi shook his head that he didn't have an answer, but something of Bentley's statements maybe what they seek.

"Oh course, that's it?" Bentley suddenly brighten up in realizing something now.

"What's it? What have you learn?" Salim asked off in not being kept in suspense here, what was the answer already?

"I got beat cause I was not playing Kortez's game?" Bentley stated off the answer to the clue of this riddle here. "So someone has to challenge the Master of Games to set us free. And must be strong & not weakened at the time. And maybe with luck, their attacks won't be absorbed into the amulet?" Because he wasn't playing by Kortez's set magic rules, the amulet took him in after being weakened, but if what Bentley thinks is right…someone could challenge the guy to free them.

"So like….who you think can save us?" Murray asked off in wondering who their rescue party could be? "Sly, or maybe the others?" He could guess that Sly, or maybe Tennessee or Bob would help them out?

"Hard to say, if I could contact him, I might have a chance?" Bentley shook his head in being unsure, for he can't reach those possibly outside this amulet. "But Kortez suck me into this place, and now I fear he has all my skills of genius, plus my wheelchair's functions with darts & grenades?" He was worried that with him imprisoned in this amulet, all Bentley's skills and tech, will be misused.

"Is there not something you can do even while trapped here, my friend?" Sir Galleth asked off if perhaps Bentley can try something while they are still imprisoned.

"If we could send a signal, perhaps a smoke signal, we can warn them?" Rioichi stated a thought of alerting the others competing of this trickery.

"How, we have no sticks, nor wood, or a fire to go on?" Salim asked off in how they can make a signal fire with nothing to use?

"Wait, my RC Car!" The smart turtle checked behind his back….and pulled out a familiar remote. "Yes, I still have the remote, and I musta dropped the car during the conflict?" Bentley exclaimed in thinking what happened during his brief fight against Kortez. "If I can adjust the signal, I can send out a connection to bypass the wave of this place, and help me control the RC Car to warn the others?" Looks like they may 'yet' have a way to reach anyone outside this magical prison place and warn those still in the game.

"But how long will it take for you to do that Bentley?" Murray asked off how long his pal needs before he has something set to reach their pals outside this place?

"I give myself the odds chance that it's hard to say, but I'll have to work fast." Bentley responded to Murray's question that he can't tell unless he tries. "Otherwise, if there isn't at least one person left competing in the tournament, then our hope of getting out of here is shot down?" He knew that unless a victor is found, that will still give them a chance to warn whoever is still left.

"Bah, if this doesn't work, then we're all gonna be trapped here for a long time?" Salim groaned off to state this off from being cranky of their situation won't get any better sticking around here.

"To arms, Sir Bentley, let your craftsmanship give us thee opening we need?" Sir Galleth declared off in wanting the turtle to put his skills to the test and help them out.

"Calm the mind, Bentley-san, and let the focus pass through to lengthen you strength." Rioichi clap his hands together in giving his wise advice for the turtle to be at peace.

"You can do this pal, I know you can!" Murray exclaimed with a jam-up fist motion in having fate that Bentley will get something here to help them.

Well things here will certainly be getting interesting for a while now, and hopeful….it won't be too late?

* * *

**VISION NOTE:** The qoute about Sly's group cheating, was once seen and performed in Sly 2 (during the part with Jean Bison).

The RC Car was used by Bentley in Sly 4, while originally used by Penelope in Sly 3, as a tool to spy from a 'small' camera's view.

Boy, this was certainly a **VISION** filled with much shock? But never fear, the VISION-KING has a plan for what happens from around here, & more. In the next chapter, with only three thieves left to compete, the quarterfinals are changed to….the FINAL Round! So yes, you can all get ready, get set, to **IN-VISION** a conflict match between three raccoons, who will win? Caveman, Cowboy, or Paris Thief, it's a no holds match where one's gonna bring their 'A-Game' to get through these last minute set up rounds? And once a winner has been made, what's to say for those still trapped in Kortez's amulet, or what about when new arrivals come? So many questions, so little time, but be patient for what's to come, very soon…indeed...


	5. 05: Second To Final Round?

Author's Note: Greetings to all my loyal viewers & followers out there. Prepare to **ENVISION** for more Sly Cooper action, like you never believe. Yes, the "King Of VISIONS" has now made the stage where the last three remaining computers shall face off, who will win….I won't tell? You'll just have to **VISUALIZE** how things are gonna go down when you see it, won't you now? But you know that the only three left standing are Sly Cooper, 'Tennessee Kid' Cooper, and Caveman Bob Cooper, the question remains, who you gonna root for, and who you think is gonna end up being the winner here? One thing's for sure, you're gonna see some amazing surprises, events, techniques, and some insider on Cooper Family traits if you knew or didn't know it? So while we chat, lets get cracking to see what's gonna happen now…shall we enjoy this now…I think so?

**Chapter 05) Second To Final Round? **

**Location: Central Dimension, Zeta Prime**

**Central Gathering Chamber?**

Now we focus on the same room where the competitors gather around before the next start of the rounds. We see that Sly has entered, and so was Bob, and then later Tennessee. Each one was doing their own thing to being ready, Sly was twirling his cane, Bob was squeezing his right hand to get a feeling, and Tennessee Kid was scouting off his competition.

"He fellas, good luck today." Tennessee held up his right hand in wanting to get everyone's attention on him. "May the best man win?" He was stating this off to the other Cooper members that he wanted to wish them good luck in their next round.

"(Um, but I'm more of a caveman, aren't I?)" Bob responded puzzled that Tennessee meant only him and Sly, and not the Caveman Cooper himself?

"Right, sorry about that?" Tennessee rubbed his right cheek in realizing his mistake on how to say something that fits perfectly for his prehistoric ancestor. "May the best 'Thief' win. How's that, sound much more better?" He re-quoted on how he pronounced that last statement under a different meaning.

"(Hum, yeah, it does make me think I'm included?)" Bob responded with some thought, and shrugs his shoulders to nod his head in liking that idea better then the first one.

Soon Sly came over to his two ancestors that have pretty much made things okay at the moment from a slight confusion.

"Well I like to say the same for you too Tennessee, and you Bob." Sly returned the comment of wanting to wish his fellow competitors good luck in the next round of the tournament. "Say guys, you haven't seen Bentley around, have you?" Sly asked off from noticing, that three of the four that made it to the quarterfinals are assemble, but not Bentley?

"(I don't know?)" Bob shrug off his shoulders in not knowing where the turtle was?

"Shot, I thought that pal of yours would be with you? Wasn't he?" Tennessee spoke off in thinking that Bentley be with Sly, or at least, he thought as much?

"Well yeah, but it's weird? Where could he be?" Sly responded a bit puzzled, just what was the meaning of Bentley not showing up? "It's not like him to be late when we got a major objective to perform?" He looks around the room, and there was no question about it, Bentley was not here, so where could he be?

There were many questions if something was wrong, and as of now….an answer would come?

"Bentley will not be joining us." A sudden, yet familiar voice cut in to the confusion of the three Cooper members to look in where that source came from?

Above the stair alter in the center of the _Central_ _Gathering Chamber_, was the Master of Games; Kortez. As he stood onto of the alter to gaze down at the competitors below him. All while none even knew the slightest bit, of what transpired in this very room of Bentley's discovery, to sudden absence.

"And why won't Bentley be jointing us?" Sly raised an eyebrow in wanting to hear what the Master of Games, had to say about his missing friend?

"Your friend, has been disqualify for attempting to sabotage his fellow thieves." Kortez stated off with a gloom expression in addressing the matter of why Bentley was disqualify while mixing the truth.

"(Wait, so…Bentley tried to cheat on us?)" Bob asked off a bit surprised and puzzled to hear that his turtle friend was trying to get them before their chance at the second round begun?

"I reckon I never knew that turtle could have the guts?" Tennessee Kid responded in almost a surprise shock to learn of this news that hit him harder then anything a villain thrown at him.

"Yeah, but I know Bentley, and that's not his style?" Sly shook his head off in disagreeing with this whole 'rubbish' of Bentley actually trying to sabotage them, this was his teammate we're talking about? "What sort of sabotage did he try to comment?" The raccoon turned to look up at Kortez in wanting some answers in what it was that he said Bentley tried to sabotage the tournament and them in it?

"Why, he tried to hack into my system and learn what Stage you would be fighting in, as a heads up on any of the two, and to the Final Round." Kortez explained off the basic terms of what he spoke, even as a convincing lie, about what the smart turtle was trying to do. "Gaining the upper-hand of a competitor will not be tolerated in this tournament. It is one thing to understand and know the field to have the upper-hand advantage, but trying to secretly hack to learn the task is unacceptable." He stated that he will not have someone try to cheat on another competitor by learning of what is ahead of them…..and these guys have no idea how far ahead this really means.

"So what did you do to Bentley if he broke your rules?" Sly asked in wanting to know more of what happened to his friend more then ever and sounding more serious.

"Oh do not worry, like the others, he was simply returned to his home in his own time period." Kortez informed the upset Sly Cooper that all he did was return Bentley home where he belongs…or so it's believed. "After all, keeping one that does not play by the rules, will not stay here while the game continues." He exclaimed forth this statement to which has hidden truths within his words.

"Hugh, well I hate to break this to yah Sly, but he make a fine and dandy of a point?" Tennessee rubbed his back head side in actually not seeing any arguing on a fair point like that.

"(I don't like it neither, I wanted to compete with a fair game, but not like this?)" Bob responded in feeling that if there is not a fourth member in this next round, what will happen instead?

"I know guys, it's just….Bentley's never been one to been caught from his hacking skills?" Sly signed in feeling a bit bad over what's happening, with Bentley not being around and all that. "And while he said he was researching Kortez's background, trying to learn what this tournament was about might have been on the 'might' possibility, but not if he learn what stage we play in?" Sly knew that Bentley tried to undercover much of Kortez's plot after uncovering the truth of his identity and history, but not even Bentley go far to be caught in the act, it's too much of a rookie mistake?

"I know it frustrates you that this deed has taken place, but what's done, is done, and cannot be taken back." Kortez solemnly nods his head that nothing can be done about Bentley or of what's taken place.

"I…guess?" Sly swallowed his pride to admit that at this moment, there is nothing he can do if Bentley's returned home and he has to fight on alone from here.

"So what's gonna happen here, you have only two of us fight & the other sit out?" Tennessee asked off in what Kortez was planning to do about their rounds with only three of them instead of four?

"On the contrary, a change in the setting is in order." Kortez boldly stated that as of right now, there will be an alteration to the setting plans of the rounds.

"(A…change in the setting order?)" Bob responded puzzled and confused by what this guy was trying to tell them?

"Yes, without four, the Second Round would not be as it should, thereby, the tipping balance must be corrected." Kortez stated off that having the _Second Round_ would not help in settling the situation of competitors in this tournament.

"Well….I guess if we wanted to play fair, a fix in this odd order would be a start?" Sly raised an eyebrow to look at his two only ancestors remaining here, that unless something is done, then there can't be a one winner with even standard settings?

"Yes….And with only three thieves remaining?" Kortez raised his right hand up in declaring the matter of how many competitors are now left that were…at an odd balance? "We shall process directly to…" He held up his arms in declaring that with the situation of three, a change of _Round Two_ is in order. "**The FINAL Round!**" Kortez declared out loudly for all to hear the news that they shall skip directly for the last round of the tournament.

"POOFruvhmmm!" And then suddenly during this sudden news, Kortez's amulet lit up with sparkly flashes before all of it covered the room.

* * *

And now, the screen suddenly shows three images of Tennessee Kid Cooper (on the left), Caveman 'Bob' Copper (on the middle) and Sly Cooper (on the right), as they appeared to face off.

"**Tennessee Kid VS. Bob VS. Sly!**" Kortez's voice proudly announced off the final competitors to face off in the _Final Round_ in the _Tournament Of Thieves_. "**In A Three-Man Fight…To The Finish!**" The Master of Games declared forth that with these three finalist in his tournament, they shall compete against the other, and that whoever stands…wins.

**Location: Space Planetary - Final Stage**

The next scene shows us what was to be nothing but the _Final Stage_ here. It was outer space, where it was dark, and that there was the moon that was within our sight, but that wasn't the real attention? For above the moon itself, was a large floating wide cone island-shaped arena with flat grounds that seem to stretch off a good….50-100 feet length of width.

"POOFrusvhmmm…." Suddenly without another moment later, lightning bolts stroke three spots: two edges and one center point of the floating battle ground. Once the little show ended, what came from the bolts where the three thieves; Tennessee, Bob, and Sly, as they each looked around at their surroundings in realizing; THEY WERE ACTUALLY ON THE MOON!?

"Wha In Buzzard-Feathers? Where Are We?" Tennessee Kid yelped in seeing this unexpected picture, just where were they anyhow, this couldn't be...

"(I think it's…the moon?)" Bob slowly responded in thinking they were really on the moon here, as they seen at night?

Tennessee almost began to panic to hold his breath if they could even breath in space, and while Sly would have done it to his knowledge while Bob wasn't sure, something did catch their attention?

"But it's weird? I feel fine?" Sly spoke off from trying to check himself, and to realize; he could breath in space? "There must be air covering this place to let us breath?" He stated from looking around, Kortez must have done something to allow them to fight in such a place, or this was not actually outer space?

"Then I guess if nothin's wrong, we can get this on then?" Tennessee spoke off in thinking that if all is well, they got nothing to fear.

"(So, do we all fight against the other now?)" Bob asked off a puzzled question if this was where they shall face each other, as it's every man or Cooper for themselves?

"Seems so Bob, so I suggest that we all be ready." Sly issued off that it's time they begun this and see….who will win this match.

Now that everything was already said and done, it was now time to begin, the _Final Round_ of the competition.

"HAaaugh!" Sly makes the first move to leap up in the air to swing his cane down towards…Bob.

"(URragh!)" Bob however retaliates to turn to use his own cane to stop Sly's attack while he used his spare hand to grab the guy.

"Waaugh!" Sly yelped form Bob's sudden tactic use, and could not stop what came next.

"(Bye-Bye! URraaugh!)" Bob soon swung his catch on over to the left side of his field of view.

"Gaugh…Gaugh-Uagh…." Sly was tossed and he rolled across the ground towards the end of the battle stage, but stopped on his back before he could fall. "Note to see, watch out for Bob's reach?" Sly responded from sitting up in reminding himself of what to be careful of next time around.

"Time I got into the game too? _**Cane Shot Combo!**_" Tennessee Kid stated off before taking his revolver cane, aimed and fired off a big bullet towards his prehistoric ancestor.

"Boom!/(HRrruuagh!)" Bob however used his cane with both hands tighten on it to take the impact and then brush it off. "(My turn now!)" Bob soon declared off before he started to make a charge move towards one of his two attackers.

As Sly was getting up, Tennessee had flipped backwards to about join him in staring off against the stronger muscle member of the Cooper Clan's first Cooper.

"Up for a little two on one?" Sly quoted with his cane in hand in stating to Tennessee, that they work to take on Bob together.

"Shot, it probably take two dozen to take that partner down, but wha the hay?" Tennessee shrug off his shoulders to respond with a humor tone about this before deciding to accept the offer.

Now these two Coopers were rushing on over to take on the stronger member out of them. As Sly was rushing, he and Tennessee amazingly found railroads and rode on them to gain speed, all while the latter brought up his cane-revolver to use his _Crackshot Technique_ to explode some local target spots Bob was sure to run on.

"Boom-Boom-Bam-Bamm-KABOOM!" Much of Tennessee's gun shots didn't seem to hit Bob, as he was rushing through the exploding ground, even went through the smoke cloud that covered his appearance. But that didn't stop the Caveman Cooper from still going through without delay…but it looked like Bob's cane was…charging?

"Woah!" Sly saw Bob coming to just in time, leap off his rail to avoid a cane swing.

"(MRUUaugh!)" Bob swung, but missed his target, as Sly was in the air now. "(Good, but me still got more to go!)" Bob then immediately took charge to go after any of his two opponents.

"Bang-Bang-Bang!" Tennessee aimed his revolver towards the incoming opponent to fire off three shots.

"PLow-Plow-Plowvhmmm…." But Bob proved otherwise by having his cane knock off the tiny shots while continuing to charge.

"Darn! Bob's tougher then I gave him credit for?" Tennessee responded from gasping at this tough ancestor of his, no questions asked.

"Then we better go…old-school?" Sly issued off from leaping off behind Tennessee to head for the charging Bob. "Down big guy!" Sly suddenly managed to grab Bob around his neck to use his own strength to pull the big raccoon down.

"(GRUUAaaughh!)" Bob was suddenly brought his right side down to slide across the ground from Sly's risky tactic.

The two even pass by Tennessee, as he was mighty stump in seeing how Sly managed to bring down their rampaging ancestor so easily? Right now, Bob was on the ground while Sly got off to stand a few feet away from the big raccoon.

"Thanks for the mighty assistance, Sly." Tennessee gave off a little wave in thanking Sly for helping him when he needed it.

"You probably don't wanna thank me…yet?" Sly spoke off to point off at something to Tennessee…with a sly smirk?

"What now…?" Tennessee responded to look behind him, and got a big time shocker from it? "Woah!" He yelped from seeing Sly before him, but this one looked a little…static? "Bang-Bang…." He fired the shots from his revolver, but then something strange happened; the shots went 'through' the non-moving Sly without any injury? "Hugh….that went right through, but then…?" He turned back around to see Sly still in the same spot, but he looked different from the other one near him? "How'd you…?" Tennessee almost asked until the Sly near him faded out after due time?

"It was a _Decoy_ that I picked up from Sir Andrew Cooper. After all, we are playing to win against the other, aren't we?" Sly quoted off with a sly smile in reminding Tennessee, that this is still a round where they all must face each other.

"(Gotcha!)" Suddenly, Bob came around from behind Sly, and had from his hands his cane swinging down….but strangely charged.

"Gaaugh!" Sly yelped from seeing an attack from behind, and quickly tried to act. "CLAPSshvmm…." Sly managed to block Bob's surprisingly _Charged Cane_ attack with his own, but the pressure was pressing him down. "Ugh….Was that….a _Charged Cane_ attack? I didn't think Bob knew how to do it?" Sly quoted this from his struggled breath, never expecting his prehistoric ancestor to either know or develop this technique so suddenly?

"Well Sly, it looks that way?" Tennessee responded off from getting himself up in quoting two things; Bob performing a surprise new move & their competing street to win this game. "Time for another of my _**Cane Shot Combo.**_" He issued from taking another aim from his revolver when Sly was trying to hold off Bob's pressure weight of the later's strength.

"Sorry Bob, gotta duck and cover?" Sly smiled from letting his prehistoric ancestor know this before trying to get out of their cane lock press state.

"(Hugh?)" Bob responded puzzled, what did Sly actually mean by that?

"BANG! BAM!" At that moment, Tennessee shot a big bullet heading for Bob, just as Sly slipped out of the other guy's hold.

"(GRAAaaughhhh!)" Bob let off a cry from not being quick enough to dodge and instead took Tennessee's strong attack in the gut. "SMACKfruvhmmmm…." And soon the large raccoon was flung up into the air, and then came down right on the ground were he made a large imprint of his back. "(Uraarughhh….)" Bob let off a little moan from feeling some aches and pains all over him.

"I think that might have been a 'tad', too much, don't you think?" Sly slightly pitched his fingers in seeing that what Bob took was a little more overdose then what should have been done.

"Well heck, sorry about that Bob, I wanted to take ya down, but not 'that' hard?" Tennessee Kid rubbed the back of his head to look down and give an apology for hurting his prehistoric ancestor like that?

"(Ugh, it's fine. I guess this is where I say; I'm beat?)" Bob slowly responds that he's okay, but it looks like it's his lost in this _Final Round_ of the tournament. "(It was nice to fight as best I could against you, brothers?)" He stated off that while he may have lost, it was a real pleasure to have been about to see how good Sly and Tennessee are.

"Heck, you're the first one that helped make the rest of our families wanna be thieves in the first place." Tennessee shrug off to say that without Bob, the rest of the Cooper Clan couldn't have been known as the best thieves.

"No matter what, you're just as good as any of us are. Even if you're the past, you helped start a future." Sly comments with a proud smile that with Bob, he was the start of a great line of thieves.

"(Yes, thank you all. I'll wish you the best of luck from here out.)" Bob nods a bit in cracking a little smile in feeling happy to have been told of such things…from his family line of descendants.

"POOFruvhmmm…." Soon afterwards, from Tennessee and Sly on two opposite sides, saw in the middle of the two, a bolt of lightning impact on Bob's lying state before the guy soon disappeared. This meant that now Bob was defeated, just as the others went through similar states, and only Tennessee Kid & Sly were left. "Crack-Crackvhmm…." Of course, while after Bob had left, the spot where the large body impacted began to spread it's cracks around?

"Well Sly, may the best man win!?" Tennessee declared out in having himself be serious now, all while behind him, some parts of the ground were cracking.

"Oh don't worry about that, I'll intend to?" Sly made a sly comment about being the one man to win this, all while dust clouds were kicking up behind him.

Soon the image changed to the floating battle ground that was breaking apart from the heavy impact until… "CREAK…KAPOWBOOMvhmm…." Until the entire floating stage broke to pieces of rubble and soon began to drift apart and fall below? As the pieces were currently falling directly towards the moon below, we see Tennessee and Sly also appear to yelp from seeing they lost their battleground, and are about to make contact with the moon itself…the hard way.

"Better find me some landing gear for this?" Tennessee spoke off from quickly using his cane to grab some smaller rocks to swing him over to a larger rock where he stood on the flat ground for impact support. "Perfect, now if only Sly can do the same?" He ushered off to say before looking on his other side in what Sly would be doing in the same state?

"Do worry, I'm good!" Sly was surprisingly using a strange technique that made the areas around him, become '_slow_' for him to make easier contact in skipping across the falling rubble debris. "Gotta give comments to Matthew de la Cooper's _Thief Reflexes_ to slow time down." He exclaimed how he managed to even perform such feats that aided him.

"What the?" Of course, Tennessee yelped from seeing Sly go off to make him jump backwards since the latter almost tried to pounce him. "Son, I know we're suppose to be competing, but now you're pushing your luck. _**Crackshot Technique!**_" He stated off in seeing how Sly was still willing to continue this, despite their falling state, and decided to fight back. "Bang-Bang-Bang…." Soon he was targeting while firing off his shots for Sly's station.

"Bam-Bam-Bamvhmmm…" Sly saw and moved away from the pinpoint accuracy impacts of Tennessee's shots on where he stood.

Afterwards, Sly managed to jump off from where he was to below, as Tennessee returned to where he was to look below in where his opponent was. Sly was holding on to the bottom of the falling boulder rock by his cane hooking on a ledge piece, as Tennessee took the aim at him with his revolver cane.

"Bang-Bang, Bang!" Just around then, Tennessee fired off three shots that were gonna hit. "Woah!" Sly just managed to dodge some shots by moving before letting go, but not before he used his cane to grab hold of Tennessee's revolver part.

"WAaahh!" Tennessee yelped out from being pulled off by Sly's strength of the pull.

Now it was around the moment, that both Coopers were clashing their canes against the other while free-falling. They each made a few shots that either were blocked, countered, or made slight effort on the other?

"Haaah!" But then Tennessee managed to whack Sly off towards away from him.

"Haugh…Nraugh!" Sly was shot back, but from coming over near a flat rock surface, used his cane to grapple the part of it that, so he could try to reverse swing himself onto the top part of the rubble. "Man, this is a bit more trickery then expected? Hugh?" As Sly was busy, he turned to notice something vastly approaching from the left side?

"BASH-BASH, CRUShfruvhmmm…." The scene showed that three larger boulders smacked into the ground of the moon that was coming up fast here.

"Looks like a Luna Crash Course in the work?" Sly quoted from seeing what's about to happen in where he's heading for.

As Sly turned to see the front, he saw Tennessee using his cane to swing himself over some rocks to get on a more sturdy piece for the impact landing.

"Better hold tight Sly, were about to make contact! YEEHAW!" Tennessee responded off to say before making a loud cheer in feeling ready and raring for what's gonna take place next.

"KAPOW-POW, KAPLOWvhmmm…." Soon the battle stage rubble makes it's contact against the other parts of the 'Marina' parts of the moon. And who should appear from the clouded dust from where the rocks impacted all around, then Tennessee, keeping his serious wits with his revolver on the ready. But it wasn't just him, Sly was also keeping his cane in a battle ready position when the dust cloud cleared a bit from him. And soon, Sly made the first move to go on the offensive charge right off the bat.

"Bang!" Tennessee went off to fire the first shot from his revolver cane at the approaching target. "Thruspvhmmm…" But of course, Sly managed to block that shot with his cane while continuing to keep running.

Tennessee was about to react when he was suddenly cut off from firing another round…

"Haugh!" Sly swung his cane that made Tennessee yelp to his left side, but also fired another shot that was a misfire. "HAaugh!" Then Sly soon retaliates to throw in another attack when Tennessee least expects it.

"UAaugh!" However, Tennessee was not only quick on the draw, but quick to block Sly's cane with his own.

Now both raccoons were struggling to push off the other, their feet buried deep in the moon's rocky grounds to keep the other from being pushed back or to push forward? Right now, Sly's right foot seemed to have been slightly pushed back from Tennessee's unexpected force, but tried to arrange it so he can keep himself in tac of what to expect next. But while things were in a lock moment, there was time for some chatter?

"Just a friendly competition, hugh Sly?" Tennessee smiled off to make a sly remark about him and Sly suppose to be having a 'friendly competition' against the other.

"Oh yeah, should be lots of fun, Tennessee?" Sly responded back with the same egotistic tone right back at Tennessee while they were trying to push each other back.

"Right you are, cause winning isn't everything, right?" Tennessee retorted off to say with a playful grin when he and a grinning Sly brought their faces close to chat.

"Yeah, but it's about the only thing that matters right now." Sly responded off to Tennessee about the situation calling for a winner in this game while both still tried to have a lock on their opponent.

After a while of bantering and smack-talking, both Coopers push the other backwards.

"Haugh-huugh!_** Bullet Barrage!**_" Tennessee did some backflips before using the gravity of the moon to get higher heights "BangBang-Bangvhmmm…." Just before aiming his revolver downwards to release a barrage of bullets to shoot at Sly.

"Boom-Boom-Boom!/Wooah!" Sly managed to duck back enough to dodge some of these shots that almost got him. "I think I'll toss my hat off to you, Tennessee? HUAaagh!" Sly suddenly did the unexpected thing by taking his cap off, then throwing it off towards his opponent after making a jump back to avoid another gun shot.

"You think a hat's gonna stop my gun shots?" Tennessee asked off in slightly remarking the fact, that such a tactic was crazy? "Bang!" So without delay, Tennessee fired off another shot from his revolver.

"KABOOMvhmmmm!" But then of course, when the gun's bullet made contact with Sly's cap…IT EXPLODED? The flashes covered up the air with such brightness, it was truly a marvel?

"Well I'll be a son of Coattail? That was no normal cap material?" Tennessee smiled off in actually commenting about how Sly managed to pull a surprise move there with that exploding cap play?

"I give my thanks to Rob McCooper's _Explosive Hat Technique_, they were suppose to be left as explosive mines, but this worked out fine." Sly returned with his own smile, as he suddenly retrieves another one like his cap from his backpack.

Now both raccoons were getting more eager by the minute, as they started to make another rush moment. "Bang-Bang-Bang!" They first began a simply circle motion, but with Tennessee firing his revolver to get Sly, but the later was still quick enough to jump and evade.

"Well son, time for you to try dodging this big number. _**Bullet Barrage!**_" Tennessee spoke off before spotting a rail, and then _Rail-Walk_ it up to get a higher destination above Sly. "BangBangBangBangvhmmm…" Suddenly from going higher up, Tennessee aimed his revolver downwards and then released a barrage of bullets around him to shoot Sly anywhere around him.

"Bam-Bam-Bam!" Sly firstly managed to dodge out some implosive attacks, but Tennessee still kept going.

"Okay, this could be a problem?" Sly responded in not liking the looks of this here, as he decided to try a different tactic. "Time for the old _Decoy_ run." When Sly ran behind a boulder, what appeared to be him flash across to stay in the spot where it took the other barrage bullet impact works.

"Did I get him?" Tennessee suddenly stopped doing his _Bullet Barrage_ to study his latest work, however...

"Sorry, what you got was the _Decoy_, again." Sly's voice spoke off, as he suddenly used the leaping skills from Rioichi to leap across sharp points of rocky terrain that was all around this crater.

"Don't count yourself too lucky, son? _**Crackshot Technique!**_" Tennessee spoke off before taking aim at all the spots Sly was gonna be heading towards. "Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang!" After locking on each target spot where Sly was about to head towards, he fired off six shots at once.

"Then how's about a little fast target for ya?" Sly made a sly smile, as he suddenly became much faster then ever?

"Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam!" And the shots fired by Tennessee Kid did destroy the sharp points where Sly was, but they weren't able to get him after escaping such dangers.

"Gotta thank D.F. Cooper for the _Fast Time Technique_, really makes things go faster around me, including myself." Sly smiled in how he's managed to get out of danger once again, with a little 'know how' from his family. "And now, a familiar trick of the cap?" Sly took his cap off again to throw it down towards afar while also getting another cap from his backpack.

"KABOOM!" The cap Sly threw off first soon acted like a mine from the _Hat Exploding Technique_ he used that exploded off near Tennessee's field of view.

"Drat, I can't aim what I can't even see?" Tennessee frowns from aiming up his revolver, but knew it wouldn't work unless he saw where to aim? So he had no choice, but to move about from where he was, getting off the rail part too.

"Time I make my timing right here?" Sly stated from charging up his cane before leaping off the last sharp point to aim directly at Tennessee's spot.

"Cough-cough, when's all this smoke gonna vamoose anyhow?" Tennessee coughed out a bit from breathing in this smoke dust cloud, but then looked to his right side.

There suddenly, Sly was coming out with the plan to land his _Charged Cane_ attack on his off-guard opponent, or was it.

"No deal son, _**Cane Shot Combo!**_" Tennessee spoke off from having his sharp eyes take notice of this stunt, and acted fast. "BANG!" From there, he shoot a big bullet to head directly for the oncoming opponent.

"HRUaugh!" Sly made a battle cry before swinging his fully _Charged Cane_ to help break through this attack…at least he hoped?

"BOOMFruvhmmm…." From both impacts, caused a shockwave that was too close to both raccoons that blasted them away.

"Uggh!" Both Sly and Tennessee made yelp cries from their impacted landing across the terrain on the moon, as they lied their…a bit weakened.

"Boy, you sure know how to pack a mean wallop there?" Tennessee stated off on how tough Sly was with that last attack of his.

"Gaugh, same could be said for you too, Tennessee?" Sly responded with a half-crack smile on his face in how far both thieves are playing at.

Now after a while, both Coopers were finally back up on their feet, and looked fully reenergized to continue where they left off. It was a stare down, whoever would make the first move would react or it be their last? At the moment, Tennessee looked about ready to handle his revolver, so Sly saw the moment to act.

"HUaagh!" Sly suddenly took off his cap to suddenly throw it off against Tennessee's position.

"Woah!" Tennessee however reacted fast enough to let that cap fly off pass him, but what he didn't know was that Sly made it go upwards to flow with the moon's light-gravity to angle it off…like a boomerang? "Gotcha now Sly?" Tennessee spoke off from taking aim that Sly made his rookie mistake just there. "Bang!" And then the Western Cooper fired off another of his bullets, it would have done the job, but...

As Sly managed to stand there like a deer in headlights after getting a new cap out, luck was on his side that his other cap was coming back like a boomerang-act that he pulled off. "KABOOM!" And in that action with Tennessee's bullet, the cap exploded from the contact which created a smoke cloud around Sly to cover him and blind Tennessee's view.

"Where's he now?" Tennessee asked off puzzled if in wondering if Sly got out of that or not?

"Try over here?" Sly suddenly was further away from the explosive cloud of dust, as he managed to jump back away before the exploding collision acquired.

"Better take careful aim now?" Tennessee was preparing to have his revolver cane get ready for another shot, but...

"Not happening! HRAaugh!" Sly immediately went off into action to charge and jump in the air, preparing to attack from above while Tennessee fired off his shots too little to late, that missed the altitude target. "HEYRAaahh!" Sly made a battle cry to suddenly spin the cane while lunging forward.

"Wha the…?" Tennessee had a serious face, as he suddenly had to prepare for this impact. "CLASPfrvuhmm…." And prepare it he did, Tennessee took the blow impact from Sly's attack that created a dust cloud around them to go off, like a shockwave effect? "Wha was that move?" He asked off in not knowing what move Sly just performed there?

"Something from Drake Cooper, the _Knockout Dive_, spinning my cane while lunging forward at my target, like so?" Sly retorted off to explain what he was doing to his opponent before getting serious here. "HUagh! Heyah! Heaugh!" Sly backed off from Tennessee, and tried to use a few cane swing moves, but the other guy was able to dodge a few.

"Ugh, Ah, Uagh!?" Tennessee began to almost sweat from using his revolver cane to block as much of Sly's blows as possible, the guy was really getting into it now? "I think you're getting carried away now?" He stated off in seeing how much he was having trouble keeping up with Sly?

"HUagh, Heugh! Heyah!" Sly was not stopping his assault, and turned around to swing his cane to trip Tennessee, but he stop his own cane to stop that attack.

"I have ya now partner, a close up _Cane Shot Combo!_" Tennessee smiled in believing to have the final upper hand of deck cards now.

"Lets see you try that after I use Colonel Reid Cooper's move to freeze time first?" Sly addressed off with a sly smile in having one extra trick to pull before Tennessee does his.

Then without warning, Sly jumped up into the air with great leaping strength to be above Tennessee. During the moment, time seem to have almost stopped before returning a bit on course?

"Oh-boy!" Tennessee yelped from seeing his opponent was quickly above him, he had to act or else lose?

"HUAAayhhh!" Sly then had a fully charged up cane to swing it downwards on his opponent.

"CLASP!/BANG!" Just as Tennessee Kid held up his cane to take the shot, Sly's attack countered acted it's position that shot off the wrong direction?

"GAAaughh!" And Tennessee Kid was ended up getting smacked by Sly's attack, full force, that smacked him across the field. "Gaugh…." He yelped from his landing, but managed to rebalance himself to be in a kneeling position, however…something was amiss? "My gun?" He held out his right hand in seeing his revolver cane was inches away from him, he has to get to it or….

But suddenly, Tennessee Kid makes a stern expression in seeing who should walk over his cane revolver, and this person used his other cane to pickup the item in question then; Sly Cooper.

"Well Tennessee, you put up a good fight, but sad to say…you kinda look to have lost." Sly exclaimed with a sly smile in seeing he's come out triumph over his Western ancestor.

"You kicked my butt pretty good, and you're definitely a Cooper in my book. But I gotta ask ya, was it really worth it?" Tennessee was giving Sly the comments of his victory, but also looked puzzled over the fact, if doing all this really meant to show who's the best?

Sly heard this, and suddenly lost his smile to replace it with a puzzled, yet serious face in following Tennessee's statement. Sure, this was just a friendly competition to see who was the best thief, especially among the chosen Cooper Clan members of different time areas, but truth be told…was this worth anything? Sure, being the best was an honory thing, but each of the Coopers were all about honor among thieves to begin with, so did facing the best of any generation prove otherwise?

"Tennessee, I…" Sly was about to say something, but it was here he was cut off.

"But don't mind me, we've all done our part, now…it's you who's living our family name in the present. So, don't sweat much." Tennessee held up his hand to tell Sly that even though he lost, it's not bothering him much, cause while he's the past, Sly is the one to carry on their family name and legacy.

"Um yeah, sure thing…?" Sly responded slowly in feeling a little less guilty of this, but can't argue when someone says they don't mind.

Soon during the subtle moment between the victor and the defeated, something happened? "POOFrusvhmmm…" Without warning, 'Tennessee Kid' Cooper was enshrouded in flashy fire and a bolt of electricity shot upwards from his position. As Sly stood there and saw this action happen, he knew this meant that with his winning, Tennessee lost and was thereby removed from the _Final Round_ to leave the victor…alone.

* * *

However….

"GAAAAAauughhAAAaaaughh!" Tennessee Kid Cooper was seen screaming while he was seemingly falling in a red swirling black vortex of some kind?

And just outside of that, the scene changed to another surprise of it being a familiar ruby amulet that let off four electric sparks within someone's grip hand. The sparks ended, as the user was clearly Kortez, the Master of Games behind this. He had used the Amulet of Sith to once again, take in a fallen competitor into his clutches. He grasp his amulet with an 'iron' expression in seeing he has now…his seventh addition.

* * *

**Location: Inside The Amulet Of Sith**

**Present Now**

We soon return to a familiar place that's within the Amulet of Sith. Nothing has changed here, it's all still the same with one new addition. The fact that from above, something was falling from the unseen skies until it finally made contact with some form of surface.

"Gaugh…." Tennessee Kid landed from out of nowhere on nothing that appeared to be the floor, but still had the stability of one. "Wha in Sam Hill happened? And where the heck am I?" He responded from getting up from feeling his soars & aches, but could not even tell where he was at the time being?

"Inside the Amulet of Sith, Tennessee." A voice sounding like Bentley responded to get Tennessee to turn around to see the turtle and the others; Murray, Rioichi, Sir Galleth, Salim & Bob together.

"Will shot my mouth off, Bentley? You and everyone else is here too I reckon?" Tennessee Kid responded off a bit glad to see a familiar face after such a long while.

"Yes, we're all here, and I'll fill you in on the details like I did Bob?" Bentley stated off in guessing that Tennessee has questions which he'll have to start from a beginning.

"Hey, where's Sly?" Murray asked off from noticing that, only one more member of their eight gathered group, isn't around?

"Last I saw, he gone and had me when I was left defeated?" Tennessee shrug off his shoulders in pointing off that Sly had him beat before he suddenly left the final stage area without warning?

"So then, that must mean…." Murray was slowly trying to say in getting together the facts in what this all means. If they were all together during the start of the tournament, and if only seven of them are here, then it means one thing for the last one to not show up. "That Sly's won the tournament? He won!" The hippo proudly exclaimed with a happy face in knowing that at this moment, Sly has won the _Tournament of Thieves_ contest.

"I really don't think this is the time or the place to be celebrating that feat, Murray?" Bentley held up his hands to tell Murray that as of right now, their dire situation isn't looking to celebrate their pal's victory. "For now we got Bob and Tennessee here, and Sly's all alone?" The smart turtle pointed off that with two more additions to this place, Sly is now by himself…and possibly with Kortez to boot.

"Care to revaluate that Bentley?" Tennessee asked off a bit lost and confused in what got in Bentley's shell to say these things? "I just got here, and I'm still lost?" He exclaimed that he needed to be filled in on what's happening all of a sudden?

"In short, you were played for fool." Salim pointed off with a dry attitude in saying what he thought was best to describe the situation, much to Tennessee being confused.

"Tis true, we have all been bewitched to believing this was 'fair' game?" Sir Galleth declared off with a serious motion that what was happening here was but a mere 'hoax' of sorts.

"But in truth, the true face of the enemy, is the Master of Games himself, Kortez." Rioichi stated off with a stern face that they are in the clutches of the enemy that was their very host.

"(Yeah, everyone here says he used that amulet to take in those who lost?)" Bob nods in responding to what he was told about their currency at this time.

"And with each of us here, it means now the Master of Games has all of our skills, abilities and techniques at his disposal?" Bentley estimated the worst possible fear, that Kortez now has every skill from famous Coopers in history, making him be practically unbeatable?

"Hold up! So we're telling' me, this partner's a fraud and just wanted us here to take our special skills?" Tennessee Kid held up his left hand in trying to see where Bentley was going with this, and all of it wasn't sounding to pleasant to hear.

"Yes, now he'll have your _Rail-Slide_ & _Rail Walk_ skills as well as your handling of a gun & accuracy, plus Bob's climbing & strength?" Bentley sadly nods in stating the terrible state of the situation that with Tennessee and Bob here, Kortez now has their skills, abilities, and techniques, at his disposal. "I saw what he could do with just a few at a time of the others abilities, but if he uses them all, he'll be unstoppable?" The genius turtle held his head for fearing the worst state to imagine of what evil Kortez can do with such skills he's taken claim.

"Relax Bentley, all hope's not lost, right?" Murray held up his hands to stop his pal from feeling all hope was lost, cause it wasn't yet. "I mean, yeah, we're stuck here, that guy tricked us, and now he's got all our moves?" The hippos was not off to a good start in trying to make the situation of the subject, be any less terrible as it sounds, but… "But he doesn't have Sly, right?" Murray spoke off in stating the one last person from the Cooper Gang's present time is not in this amulet's prison.

"Murray-san is very wise, all is not truly lost." Rioichi nods with an honest face in sensing what was said, is very much the truth of the matter.

"Despite two more of us ending here, we might just have a shot with Sly?" Salim spoke from feeling a bit of change that even with Tennessee and Bob here, all may 'not' be lost.

"Yes, but of course! Sly has triumphed in this fowl villain's game, so surely, he may gain victorious against the tyrant that imprisons us?" Sir Galleth spoke forth-holy of the manner that Sly may defeat Kortez and earn them their freedom.

"(Maybe he can set us all free then?)" Bob nods with a smile in thinking they may yet have a chance of getting out of here.

"If that youngster can achieve it, you mean?" Salim focused his stern eyes on Bob in stating something that was a very important update to their crisis.

"What's with the down low?" Tennessee asked off in why Salim had to say such a thing when they were trying to brighter up the mood here.

"Well I might know, but it might not be as easily said?" Bentley nods with a face that was very deep in thought of the situation of their last chance to get out. "Sly has to defeat Kortez & somehow, cause an event to let us out of this amulet?" He knows that unless Sly defeats their unnoticed foe, they will be stuck inside the amulet, as he begins to explain things to the others. "I know Sly's good, but Kortez now possesses everything of us to fight against our friend?" Hearing a bit of this didn';t sound reassuring, and it only got more serious. "Between Murray & Bob's strength, Bob's climbing skills, Salim's rope climb & use of dessert sands, Rioichi's leaping skills & ninja base techniques, Sir Galleth's charging moves & strong strength from wearing his armor, Tennessee's rail skills & his accuracy with a gun, plus with my own genius & tech gadgets. It's almost like we've unleashed a monster for Sly to face all of us at once?" To Bentley, Sly will be likely facing all of them ganging up on the poor guy, and each of their skill talents will be used to stop Sly from defeating Kortez?

Now things were kinda looking grim here, Kortez has seven out of eight thieves he's invited to his tournament, pit them off, gain their abilities, what will happen in the end? Will Kortez gain Sly, or will he not bother, so many questions were rushing in everyone's thoughts, it was almost nerve recking to say the least.

"Hmmm….? For a small beetle to brave the storm? It must harden it's dexterity to push onward…against the elements." Rioichi held his chin to slowly open his eyes in narrowing his statement…of the situation being tough that one must brave the dangerous storm ahead.

"Um, what does that mean?" Murray however, didn't get Rioichi's wise words of wisdom, as they were kinda deep?

"For Sly to free us, he'll need to face such an enemy." Rioichi stated in a nobility manner, of the fact on how for their freedom, Sly was face this tough enemy, even on his own. "For Sly is not one without his own skills & techniques to match the enemy's abilities." He quoted off this meaning with a hidden meaning in his words about Sly being on pair with Kortez.

"Quite so, that I agree with that statement?" Sir Galleth nods off to boldly agree on this matter of who they are talking about. "Thou is saying that even Sly can vanquish the tyrant by his own strength." He exclaimed off in knowing what Rioichi was saying, he received a nod from the ninja.

"Wait, just what is it you're all saying?" Bentley held up his hands in completely not following along what these guys were saying to the other?

"I'm lost here too, Bentley?" Murray scratched his head in feeling confused to what's even going on around here?

"Well I reckon I can understand what's mozing on over here, gents?" Tennessee Kid smiled a bit in suddenly feeling a bit more happy out of nowhere. "Sly's a tough ombre, and if anyone could do this, it be him." He cheered for knowing that if anybody can truly take down Kortez, then Sly Cooper is the man for the job.

"Even I must admit what is true here that you are clearly missing?" Salim stated off to look between Murray and Bentley in what's going on that can't be seen too easily. "You have seen Sly in action, he has come forth to save us when we thought all was lost." The elderly thief recalled how Sly had managed to do impossible feats, like helping his ancestors when history was about to change the Cooper Family's lives forever.

"(Our brother is stronger then the foe expects.)" Bob exclaimed off proudly to pat his puff chest in proudly declaring how Sly is a strong fighter. "(He shall not fail, he shall defeat the enemy to free us!)" He feels much confidence in Sly, as any of the other Coper ancestors here.

"Wait a second….you may all have a point?" Bentley suddenly started to get the idea of what each of the Cooper Clan ancestors here are trying to say. "Sly has been learning each member of his family from the Thievius Raccoonus, and picking up their traded technique skills?" The genius turtle knows how much Sly has caught up in learning his family's history and secret techniques to pass on. "Which means…? Sly's probably the only one to stand the highest chance against Kortez." Bentley could only confirm that no questions asked, Sly has enough knowledge to be fully up to the task in facing against Kortez no matter how much the villain has their other ability skills and techniques.

"Then it's like I said earlier? Sly can totally help us escape here, Bentley." Murray responded in feeling his usual eagerness return that they got a chance here after all.

"Then in that case, we'll need to help Sly all the more if he's to stand a chance?" Bentley responded in feeling that they may need to put more effort in what they can do if they leave Sly to face Kortez outside this prison.

"What do ya mean, partner?" Tennessee asked off in liking to be filled in by what the turtle was saying now.

"I'm trying to reconnect my controller's signal to my RC Car outside this prison, but it's tricky." Bentley explained what he's trying to do since he got here, get in touch with his RC Car from the outside. "If I can accomplish this, I should be able to figure out how to warn or at least help Sly out when the time comes?" He knows that being the genius of Sly's group, he'll need to use whatever needs necessary to help stop Kortez's evil scheme.

"Oh, so that's your game plan, pretty silk thinking Bentley." Tennessee Kid responded in getting the turtle's plan, it was pretty good and may just help them out.

"(Um, how long has he been doing that?)" Bob asked off puzzled in being curious to how long Bentley has been doing this job, since he came here.

"About as long as we've been trapped here, what else?" Salim rolled his eyes off in making a dry remark that it's been a very long time in what they are doing while trapped here.

"Time is of the essence, we must aid in any task before us!?" Sir Galleth grip his fist in knowing they must quickly make way to do whatever they can while stuck here

"Hai, for fate may indeed have plans for us, but until then…we must not surrender our ends yet." Rioichi nods in agreeing that they shall not surrender to being prisoners, their destiny lies else where.

"If that means not giving up, then the MURRAY, is all but glad to assist!" Murray responded off in flexing his muscles in preparing himself for another go-round to getting out and spoiling Kortez's plot.

"Okay Sly, pray tell you've managed to find a way to fight Kortez and figure out how to beat him to get us out?" Bentley quietly whispered this out to himself while he continues to work on the RC Car controller. "We may have worked like a team, now you're gonna have to do this solo to get us out." He knows that Sly always counted on him and Murray bailing him out of tough jams, but now it's time for Sly to save them on his own. "Lets just hope you're good at pro-aggravating as you are at annoying Kortez to accept? Which knowing him, it will work." Bentley made a slight smile in having a pretty good idea that when Sly tries to fight against Kortez, he'll get under the villain's skin alright.

For now, Bentley continues to work on making a signal breech this place to get his RC Car to be active. For at this moment, the group are hoping that Sly will be their last hope to get them out of this mess and stop Kortez, once and for all.

* * *

**VISION NOTE:** The fact if the competitors could breath in space is explained here, just so that it's covered.

Some noted techniques Sly learned in his adventures from his family are mentioned here, since they invented such ways for thievery.

Well things are cooking up nicely from this **VISION**, aren't they? But it's not done yet, the VISION-KING is planning another big surprise for many of us to see, an event you don't wanna miss out on. For next will be the biggest, and final chapter to this amazing story; Sly VS. Kortez, and does it end there? NO WAY! You may **IN-VISION** other similar fanmakes were it'll happen were after the last hope frees the captives, the villain leaves in defeat, that could be true….but I'm gonna SPICE it up! And then afterwards, how will the gang & time travel Coopers get home, and is this truly the last we'll see Kortez trying to plot this wicked plan? Well, lets just say they'll be a little 'surprise' laying in wait when things get active again, to which if you are a sly Cooper fan, you'll wanna see how it all ends? Until then, do so enjoy this before the FINALE arrives...


	6. 06: Challenge The Master Of Games?

Author's Note: Greetings out there to all my loyal followers & viewers for the final chapter. You ready to **ENVISION** what's about to happen here, it'll be very wild & unexpected. For the 'King Of VISIONS' has carefully set the stage up to which, it'll be the most unexpected, thrilling, dynamite, maybe possibly fantastic thing to picture that makes our heads spin? But, you'll have to **VISUALIZE** such a manner of such ideas once you see where this final chapter leads to. Plus, it will also have a nice little 'surprise' for if you've seen Teen Titans episode 'Winner Take All', I'll bet you've never seen it like how I've prepared it here? And for the closing part, will be a very nice touch for any Sly Cooper fan to enjoy seeing how the closing will be done. So without further delay, let us watch & imagine this last of the 'Tournament Of Thieves' story, & there will be something to be said on what I'll be doing next. And who knows….maybe we'll see more Sly Cooper games with more Ancestors, and boy…wouldn't that be wild to have a BIG family reunion then….but we'll have to wait and see if such a future….comes to fruition? So now, on with our finale…shall we…?

**Chapter 06) Challenge The Master Of Games? **

**Location: Central Dimension, Zeta Prime**

**Central Gathering Chamber?**

Now we finally focus on the place in question where all gathered thieves were set for the challenge at hand. With Kortez up on his alter stair place, and still holding his amulet from his 'received' moment from the _Final Round's_ ending results.

"Poowfrvuhmm-KUPOWwfruvhmm…." Suddenly out in the center of the room, a lightning bolt flashed that smacked into the ground before dissipating. And soon kneeling on the ground from his return, as he stands up was none other…then Sly Cooper. Kortez lowered his arms down from seeing before him…the winner of the tournament.

"**Well Done, Champion Of Thieves!**" Kortez held up his arms in congratulating Sly in being the best of all the rest. "**Victory…Is Yours!**" He smiled off in declaring that by the end of this tournament, Sly Cooper has won against the many other competitors, and has come out on top.

"Yeah, I…guess it is? Just wish…the others were here to see it?" Sly looked around in feeling this room could have felt more better for him, if his friends & ancestors were here to have seen him win this tournament, instead of being sent home. "Guess I'm um…suppose to get some sorta prizes now?" Sly asked off somewhat lost in what's suppose to happen next, with him winning this tournament, he'll probably get the prizes as mentioned before?

Kortez soon lets his arms go down to his sides, as he begins to walk down from his alter of steps.

"I did say there would be prizes, young thief?" Kortez slyly stated with his expression unchanging over the matter, that he 'did' say about there be prizes in this tournament he held. "I did not say…" He slowly stated off from reaching the bottom steps to walk up to Sly, and then give him…his answer? "They were for you?" Kortez stops in standing taller then the raccoon, keeping his strange sneaky expression about the prizes in question that would be received….aren't going to be given to the winner.

"Say what now?" Sly responded off in completely getting caught off guard by such a statement that was beyond confusing? "Okay, you got me confused here? Just…what are you talking about?" Sly looked up to this Master of Games puzzled over just what he was trying to tell him?

At this moment, Kortez held up his ruby amulet with his left hand in showing this to Sly.

"You, Sly Cooper, maybe the winner of my tournament?" Kortez had a stern expression in wanting Sly's full attention on the amulet itself before him.

Suddenly, as Sly looked at the ruby amulet, he soon heard….voices? Familiar ones of his fiends & his ancestors?

"Hey-Hey-Hey! Let us outta here!" Murray's was heard crying out from within the amulet.

"(MRUAAaaarughhh!)" Bob's voice was heard making a loud cry to get someone to hear him.

"Help! Someone, get us outta here!" Tennessee Kid's voice was heard in trying to get anyone to get him out too.

"But the fallen thieves are mine to keep!" Kortez addressed off in stating that those that have lost, are his to hold onto, as he pleases.

Sly's expression then went from confusion to over-shock in hearing this clarify statement from the Master of Games himself; and what this could mean.

"Free us!" Rioichi's voice spoke forth in wanting someone to help in freeing the imprisoned ones.

"Unleash us at once!" Sir Galleth's voice snapped off in demand to have them be released from where they are trapped in.

"Somebody, get me outta here?" Salim's voice was heard sounding very cranky in wanting to get out of here, pronto.

Sly stared at the amulet with a few more seconds, until it was being moved away, and soon was making him get angry?

"So…this was all a set up, to get me, my gang, my ancestors here, for what?" Sly asked off in seeing what this Master of Games was truly after this whole time? "Just so you can hold them against their will?" That was low, even as villains go to trick people, and hold them against their will.

"Exactly." Kortez responded off with a sly exclaim about what he was after. "And with all their abilities in skills and techniques at my command?" As Kortez spoke, much of his body showed signs of change; his muscles grew bulkier, and checked out his new features. Suddenly from the guy's back, hover disk from Bentley's wheelchair, his robotic arms split into four for two sides. "No one will 'Ever' Defeat…**Kortez: The Master Of Games!**" Kortez declared himself out, as he suddenly brought out five canes belonging to Sly's 5 ancestors that were wrapped around the robotic arms, plus one of his two free hands, and even his own fist were igniting with flames. "I lacked the skills to be the best, but now…with every Master Thief in my hand, I am truly a force beyond all time!" He was giving himself much commented compliments, seeing that with his newfound gain, he's far more then he ever was before. "**I Am…Invincible!**" He soon stood/hover above the ground in proclaiming himself before the winner, Sly, that the Master of Games, is now invincible with all the abilities of the defeated thieves.

"Psss…Sly!" A sudden hush voice called the raccoon while Kortez was busy gloating; and Sly found it. A little toy, but it was really the RC Car being remotely controlled and sending a signal out to reach the headphone in the raccoon's ear?

"Bentley, that you?" Sly whispered back to make sure Kortez doesn't see or notice him talking to someone, least of all, a toy car?

"Yeah Sly, it's me? Listen!" Bentley's voice responded with some discomfort before quickly getting down to business. "I'm transmitting a signal to my RC Car to beam it to your headphone sets to try to speak to you." The raccoon saw the RC Car, how it focused a beam to Sly for Bentley here to speak to him.

"Better make it fast pal, cause I got trouble here?" Sly told his friend that he needed to pick up the paste, he's got a major deal with a villain named Kortez.

"Right, okay, here's the deal." Bentley's voice responded off in getting the idea while quickly bringing up the conversation. "Kortez is wearing the Amulet of Sith, something your family didn't want anyone to gain, cause it takes folks who after are weaken in defeat and uses their best skills & techniques of their abilities for themselves." Sly recall seeing the amulet off of Kortez, and now understands what the basic term was going on here. "We're all trapped in a strange prison dimension, but if you can somehow do some damage to the amulet, it should free us?" The turtle genius' voice state the possibility that if the amulet gets damaged, it may somehow release those trapped.

"So I gotta charge in and fight the guy?" Sly asked off if he has to quickly get the amulet off of Kortez somehow by taking him on, but….

"No! I tried that, and I was disqualify, don't ask?" Bentley's voice rejected the thought while trying not to bring up much of what happened with him when he tried to stop Kortez on his own. "But maybe if you fight him in his own game, you might be able to land any attacks on the guy while trying to cause some impact on the amulet that could free us?" Bentley's voice stated a different option in what was the safer route to defeating the Master of Games.

"Gotcha, so what plan do I use against this guy?" Sly nods in hearing this, and understands the first part, now he needs the second; how to pull this off.

"The only weapon you got to get such a major drama spouting villain's attention, hit it where it's their pride and with your sly attitude towards them." Bentley's voice instructed for Sly to mess with the opponent, get them to swallow the trap they can setup.

"I see, yeah, I think I can do that." Sly lets off a sly smile in hearing what he can do now to challenge off Kortez here.

"Better hurry Sly, you gotta do this before Kortez realizes our plan. Good luck!" Bentley's voice instructed that his friend must make this be done quick without letting Kortez know of their plan, before hanging up.

With that, the signal ended, just as Sly saw Kortez about to do something?

"And now, Sly Cooper, I shall send you back….you've won the tournament, and helped me gain power." Kortez proclaimed in seeing he has no more use for Sly, after gaining the abilities of the other thieves. "And with that, all will know of my invincible might…to be the greatest thief of all, even be more recognized then you!" He proclaimed in about to claim the prize of being well-known, and that none can stop him…or was there?

Soon after some moments, Sly decided to test one thing he has that always gets the bad guys the most; stepping on their pride.

"Yeah, tell me something Kortez?" The raccoon suddenly wanted to ask something that this host would have to answer for him. "How can you be, as you say 'invincible', if you don't have me?" Sly asked off with a sly smile in trying to state an obvious overlook part of the villain's plan here. "The Champion of Thieves? Sounds like I might be 'too' much, for you to wanna have?" To Sly, he stated that if he was the best, why on Earth would Kortez not want him after believing himself to be invincible.

This actually got Kortez's attention with wide eyes in hearing this claim before him. He had not truly thought up that far in what he was doing in just gathering the fallen thieves to gain their abilities, but what about the winner himself?

"Hmm…you are quote skilled?" Kortez lowered himself with rubbing his chin to look at Sly for a second in thinking over, how very skilled this raccoon is, especially to have won in the end of the tournament? "You are the newest of the Cooper Clan, yet you have all the teachings of your ancestors? Even those that which I do not have?" He knows how good Sly is, and he has skills from five of his ancestors technique teachings, and still many others besides them, it's from his entire line of the Cooper Family.

"You're right about that."Sly responded that Kortez knew very much about how he has such talented skills. "So maybe…the game isn't over?" Sly stated off with his sly expression in stating to the Master of Games….that this game is not entirely over yet, as the villain slowly moves backwards from this thief.

"The Game…Is Never Over?" Kortez slowly responded in stating his very words he said to Bentley, that for him, this is just the beginning.

"So what do you say?" Sly offered off with a cocky sly tone in trying to make this opportune moment something to get this villain all wild up for. "One Last Round?" The raccoon offered this with such confidence that they have one last round to tend to. "Winner Take All?" He issued this challenge that whoever wins, one shall have it all; Kortez would either get Sly Cooper into his collection, or the Master of Games would lose all the Greatest Thieves he's collected to become invincible.

Kortez stops from hearing this challenge, it was all making sense, there was no way out of it. He for one should have known about such a fact that to be truly invincible, he must have the best of the best, and that includes not just the fallen contestants, but claim the winner as well.

"Yes….yes….of course! I should have seen such an event to be possible within this game?" Kortez exclaimed in now realizing something that would have been the error of his planning. "A Game within the game? A Hidden Challenge for the victor?" He was starting to see it now, as it was clear as day. "Yes…it shall be different from the _Final Round_? Instead, it shall be…**The Tournament Of Thieves - FINAL CONCLUSION MATCH!**" He roared out in the role of the drama of picturing such an event to be held as a surprise for after the first competitors were done…the next to _True_ final conclusion, would be meant.

Now things were about to begin, as Sly smiled in getting Kortez to finally fall into his set plan to fight against this guy and free his friends & family.

"**Sly Cooper VS. Kortez, The Master Of Games!**" Kortez held up his hands in declaring out the next to final conclusion of the last remaining opponents. "**Let The Contest Begin!**" He bellowed out in now stating that they shall begin their contest to see who is better…now!

Soon without warning, Kortez's fist ignited with flames, and he brought them to smack against Sly.

"Woah!" Sly flipped backwards and just in time to dodge that attack. "Using one of my teammates moves, you don't think I wouldn't know it after all the bragging Murray does?" The sly raccoon toyed out in stating how he can pretty much know how to counteract a move his hippo pal likes to showoff for his friends.

"Then hows about…this!" Kortez soon used Bentley's own robotic arms to throw grenades across the floor near Sly's position. "BAm-Bam-Bamvhmm!" Each of the grenades exploded with different results of what they could do; paralyze, fog, even the majorly dealt injury type, but Sly managed to slip pass those.

"Sorry pal, as I said, I know my teams' moves before you can throw them." Sly issued off in knowing what to expect this guy will use, having understood how such devices or signature techniques can be used by Bentley & Murray.

"Then try one of your ancestors?" Kortez responded before suddenly pulling out…Tennessee's cane-revolver. "Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang!" He fired off a few shots from the revolver, all aimed directly for Sly's current spot.

"Bam-Bam-BAmfruvhmmm…." Some explosions happened, but Sly managed to quickly out maneuver them. "Woah, you think that's something? Try this?" Soon Sly takes off his cap, and then throws it across the room.

"Oh no, I've seen that move, the _Exploding Hats Technique_, I got this?" Kortez responded in having full know-intel, as he dodge away to see the cap land on the floor near him…but nothing? "Wait, why didn't it explode like it…" He was lost and confused, that one should have exploded unless….Sly didn't plan for it to explode; it was a dunce decoy?

"HAaugh!" Sly was then seen rolling across the ground that was harnessing an electromagnetic field around him, and heading for the villain. "SMACKfruvhmmmm…." And so the raccoon delivered his special rolled attack that had smacked right across the villain's chest point.

"Gaaughhh…." Kortez yelped from the impact attack, as both he and Sly were heading backwards now.

"CRUSHfrupvhmmm…." While Sly pushed off in time to use his cane to latch onto a lantern hook above, Kortez wasn't so lucky to avoid…the upcoming wall.

"GARarraugh!" Kortez was sent flying backwards until he smacked into the wall side.

"Didn't expect I use an electromagnetic field I could harness, thanks to Kelle McCooper's aid for it." Sly responded in having played the surprise on the guy, and once more, he managed to swipe his cap from the floor during the whole thing; pretty silk he is.

"Clever, but I to can surprise you?" Kortez spoke off in stating this to the Cooper thief, as he has his own tricks to pull out of his sleeve. "FRopvhm-Fropvhm-Fropvhm…." Suddenly, the guy had brought fourth Rioichi's cane and was shooting a barrage of blue shurikens out towards Sly.

Sly reacted quickly by that surprise stunt, by landing on the ground. "Hugh…HUaaugh!" But Sly quickly managed to rush and use his cane to grip under Kortez's leg.

"Wah?" Kortez yelped from this sudden act which caused him to drop the technique he was using?

"HUagh!" Sly then swung off from that leg that made the villain spin off in a daze, as Sly rebalance himself high over a wall.

"You cannot hide above, I have other ways to reach you?" Kortez declared off in having other ways to reach his opponent. "The climbing of your caveman!" He exclaimed from using his new climbing skills up the wall from Bob Cooper.

"Woah!" Sly yelped to jumped to get near a spot where the guy couldn't climb over, but...

"The _Catapult Crash_ from your knight?" Kortez exclaimed off in having a technique to break through something in his way. "KAPOWwfruvhmm…" Soon he managed to crash through the wall that blocked him from getting near Sly with Sir Galleth's move.

"Eugh…hugh!" Sly suddenly was climbing up a rope to get further away, however...

"The _Snake Climb_ from the Arabian?" Kortez spoke forth while suddenly climbing up the rope line, as fast as Sly was doing it that Salim was expert at.

"GNaaugh!" Sly jumped off to slide on a rail before Kortez could even touch him.

"The _Rail Slide_ from the Western?" Kortez exclaimed off from having another skill he can use when he jumped to slide on the rails to, thanks to Tennessee Kid. "But here's another twist. _**Whirlwind Attack!**_" The guy issued off from having another plan stunt to be used here.

"Fruspvhmmm…Powvhmmm…" Suddenly, Kortez made a whirlwind of sand surround him for the guy to hover in the middle, as the attack collided against Sly that knocked him off the rail to end up hitting a nearby wall.

"GAaugh…Uagh…." Sly cried out from that last attack before it stopped, and he fell over with himself on his knees and supporting his weight by his cane.

But then Sly heard noises approach him, looked up to see Kortez had approached by with a sly grin on his face.

"You should have given up when you had the chance? Now I shall show you the strength of the fallen thieves…when used all at ONCE!" Kortez declared out with a fiendish smile in having another surprise to end all surprises. "The _Thunder Flop!_ & The _Charge Canes_, plus the _Cane Shot Combo_! Following an extra helping of grenades, darts, and more muscle of _Fist of Flames_!" He was issuing off the number of techniques to be used in such combination…it sounded INSANE!

Suddenly, Kortez had suddenly pulled out all the stops with the robotic arms holding four canes being charged, Tennessee's revolver in the guy's main hands charging a big shot while he prepares to dive with flaming fist and a powerful bellyflop to completely destroy anything in his range; including Sly Cooper.

"Looks like I better make this one count?" Sly stated under his breath, as he had to make a few things be ready before his upcoming doom arrives.

"HRUAAaguhhh…." Kortez made his battle cry, as he was now about to come into contact with his target that had nowhere else to go and within his sights.

Now!" Sly responded under breath, as he suddenly performed a _Decoy_ move before him, then going _Invisible_, just as time was slowing down around him, but he was moving quickly out of the way….while the rest of the scene played out.

"KABOOMFrvuhmmm….Bam-Bam-BOOMFruvhmmm…." Soon Kortez landed right on the spot where Sly could not have escaped from the combined body slam & flaming fist, charged cane & big shot bullet & grenade explosion forces at work here. The Master of Games had finally done it; he won.

"Yes! I win!" Kortex held up his arms in shouting for joy at this moment. "I always win!" He declared that no matter what, he shall always win anything, even this battle.

It looked like this was the end for Sly Cooper…or was it?

"Haugh!" Suddenly without warning, Sly appeared out of nowhere like he was invisible to the naked eye and made it away from where Kortez made his impacted attack.

"What? You escaped that collision of such a powerful attack combo?" Kortex yelped back in surprise, Sly used both _Invisibility_ & _Slow Motion_ techniques while using a _Decoy_ to confuse him.

"Not today pal?" Sly remarked off with a cocky smile in saying this win was not a count for Kortez, especially since he was still kicking.

"HRRuuaaugh! _**Shield Dash!**_" Kortez growled before he wielded up Sir Galleth's shield out of nowhere, preparing to perform his _Shield Dash_ move.

"Not so fast!" Sly managed to jump over that with a special _Fast Motion_ technique that made him dodge the attack quickly from the opponent's 'not so speedy' action.

"Wha?" Kortez yelped to return the shield to him, but looked up in time to only see….an incoming attack.

"HRUaarughhhARrrughAAahh!" Suddenly, Sly had jumped up to prepare a new _Charge Cane_ swing motion. "CLASPFruvhmmm…" That one impact was directly hit right on the _Amulet of Sith_ worn around the villain.

"OHhhuuaaghhh!?" Kortez let out a yelp cry, but some electric bolts were shooting out from where Sly's attack hit him by the amulet.

"POWFruvhmmm…" Soon a bright light flashed happened, that knocked both fighters backwards? "WAaughhh!/WOooaaah!" Suddenly from two new screams, who should be thrown coming out of the light then…Tennessee Kid & Bentley? "Gaaugh.../GUuuaugh…." And then skidding across the ground to join Sly that lay on his behind near a wall, he saw Tennessee to his right and Bentley on his left; they have somehow returned from when he hit the amulet.

Soon Sly, Tennessee, and Bentley were getting up to their feet while thanks were in order.

"Good to see you both again." Sly responded in being very happy that two of his allies were back with him.

"Nice work Sly, ye busted us outta that jammed place?" Tennessee Kid congrats the young raccoon for a job well done on busting them out of that amulet thing.

"Right. Hey Bentley, before you give me the 'I told you so' comment, I…?" Sly wanted to say am apology to his genius friend, for the doubt, but...

"Save it Sly, as much as I wanna remind you of my awareness of something weird about this game, we have bigger things to deal with?" Bentley held up his hand in letting his friend know that at the time being, they got a villain to beat that started this whole weird tournament game.

As the three thieves were chatting at the moment, they noticed that Kortez was slowly trying to get himself back up again after that surprise stunt that took place? As he was getting himself together, the Master of Games looked to not just seeing Sly Cooper, but 'Tennessee Kid' Cooper & Bentley besides him. This could only mean one thing, during his moment of weakness, two of his captives escaped, and he's lost the turtle's tech & weapons along with the Western raccoon's skills & revolver?

"Victor shall be MINE!" Kortez held up his right hand to grasp it, in declaring with an annoyed tone that he will not be beaten, and he will get back what is his.

Soon those on the other side were getting themselves ready for this next part of the fight against Kortez. Bentley was getting his robotic arms out to prepare his grenades for the assistance here. Tennessee Kid was aiming up his revolver cane in taking the perfect aim. Sly moves up from his ready pals in about to make this statement to their enemy.

"You know Kortez, you're really missing a major point here? Winning…isn't everything?" Sly slyly addressed off with a serious face about how winning isn't the main thing in this little game.

"WRARRRrughhh!" Kortez roared out in fury, as he gotten himself up to prepare to launch himself at the thieves here.

The Master of Games brings out a bunch of things to be used. Whirlwinds of sand, barrage loads of blue shurikens, a large shield, and even to wield all the other Cooper canes to charge a path to his targets with once again, flaming fists.

Sly was the target of the enemy, so he duck out of the way first and the other two from either side, stepped away.

"Aim for the chest point with the amulet!" Bentley issued where to focus their attacks on, as he soon thrown his grenades at the villain.

"KABOOM!/GAAaugh!" Kortez suddenly wasn't paying attention due to his lost rage, and Bentley's grenades exploded on contact on his chest.

"Keep distracting him, I need a perfect shot here?" Tennessee issued off from not flinching the wrong way, he's gotta make this shot count or it's a lost cause for them.

"KA-BAM, KA-BAM!/HRUAAAugh!" During more of Bentley's throwing grenades and firing a few darts, Kortez duck away before either one hit him…all unaware of throwing his amulet upwards a bit from his sudden movements.

"Come on ombre, give me the shot?" Tennessee stated from just itching to pull the trigger, but had to wait for the 'right' timing.

"RARRRUGHhh…._**Thunder Flop!**_" Kortez raised himself up in roaring fury, as he was jumping up to prepare a big finisher move until…. "BOOM!/GAAAguh!" Another of Bentley's exploding grenades caught him by surprise that made him yelp backwards?

And during the moment, the _Amulet of Sith_ flew up in the air, as the light glimmered off the reflected light works when it's wearer was knocked off a bit.

"There's my chance!" Tennessee's eyes raised up to full attention; this was his chance to attack. "Bang!" Soon the fast drawing raccoon shot off one of his bullets right there at the target.

"Why you…?" Just as Kortez was about to raise up his flaming fist to clobber Bentley, he failed to see something? "BREAKfruvhmmm…" Which was Tennessee's bullet that stabbed smack in the middle of his flown amulet that sparked a bit?

The gang saw this, and knew of the next thing they had to play out. As Sly was on his kneeling battle ready position, as he waited for the right timing.

"Now Sly!" Bentley signaled his friend to launch off and attack while Kortez was distracted.

"Got it!" Sly responded off, as he soon rushed off to prepare his own attack against the Master of Games.

Now we see Kortez a bit weaken, holding his right hand over to his left from trying to figure, what happened? All while the amulet still had a crack in it from Tennessee's bullet that shot in it.

"This can't be…I…I am…hugh?" Suddenly during this confusion of advantages for the Master of Games, as Kortez turns around, he sees something above him, coming at him?

"Try some of this, Kortez! HYAArrughh!" Sly Coper roared out from swinging a _Charged Cane_ on down to delver a slam move right….now. "BASHFruvhmmm…" That one impact was landed directly over the _Amulet of Sith_ before Kortez's eyes.

"NOOWAaauughhhh!" Kortez wailed out in horror and fear in seeing what this present Cooper has gone and done? "KABOOM!" A miniature explosive force happened from near the amulet that pushed Sly back.

"THRUPsufruvhmmm…." Suddenly, the bright light from the amulet was going 'way' off in flashing like a beam against Kortez's shocking surprise? "TRUsisisifrusvhmm…." Then the Master of Games fell on the ground, as Sly landed off a bit while watching the light works go on from what's happening to the _Amulet of Sith_.

Soon Tennessee & Bentley came near Sly in order to watch what was happening here.

"THRUpsfruvhmmm…" And then from the large bright yellow beam emitted off in the room, expanded into a dome sphere? The others had their mouths almost gasp in shock when the light covered over them until…it passed?

"Brizizitrusivhmm…." Soon when it was over, the amulet's light faded from it's source, and Kortez was kneeling on the ground in shock while he still worn the thing? And over yonder of his place, he saw to the next shock was…the return of the other captive prisoners: Bob, Rioichi, Murray, Salim, & Sir Galleth while Tennessee, Sly & Bentley were on the last right spot side, as all thieves stared down at the so-called: Master of Games.

"Woah, what happened?" Murray asked off completely lost, but took a moment to realize where they all were.

"(Are we out now?)" Bob asked off in thinking they must be out of the amulet, he thinks?

"Wha-ho! We are back where we once stood?" Sir Galleth exclaimed with a cheer that they are finally free of their imprisonment.

"Hai, it would seem our freedom, has been granted." Rioichi nods with notion that they are now back in where all is right and not of a dimension's prison.

"About time, there was nothing to do in that amulet?" Salim sternly snapped off with his cranky attitude about not getting out sooner.

"It's over Kortez, we freed everyone you imprisoned! And without them, your skills have just been dropped." Sly declared forth to the villain host that without anyone to give him their skills or techniques, Kortez can't win now.

"On the contrary, I always have…a Plan B!" Kortez responded off in having another plan to go with if he was believed to be beaten now. "THruspvhmmm…." Suddenly, his earrings flashed which started to make the guy's body twitch a bit from something….happening to it before it cease; with a wicked smirk from the villain's face. And the guy even thrown off his cloak to reveal much machinery of an exoskeleton cover him, on the knees, then the wrists, the waist and chest were his gem stones that glimmered with him while his back sprouted off robotic arms like Bentley's wheelchair. As the gems glowed, the guy was able to somehow recreate the techniques of flames, sand, shurikens, even produced his own wickedly devised cane.

"Wha in Sam Hill is going on? I thought he was beaten?" Tennessee asked off stump and surprised to see this as much as anyone else here.

"It's those earrings?" Bentley stated from using his lab top to scan Kortez's earrings to find a mechanical tech inside sending off a transmission wave-length to his brain. "They must have recorded enough of our skills for Kortez to perform in his brain, that he doesn't need us in the amulet, he has his machines recreate our weaponry and techniques as his own?" The smart turtle saw what was going on, Kortez now has a solution to still be the most invincible being with ways to utilize the others skills & abilities.

"This Chump is about to see…that NOBODY! Messes with the Murray, and hurts his pals with his own strength!" Murray cracked his knuckles together, preparing to delver a 'beat down', on this guy for what he's done.

"Then lets see if you all can defeat me?" Kortez proclaimed out in standing with a new and taller appearance then he had been before... "**The Eight Contestant Thieves VS. The Master Of Games; Kortez, Second Stage Mode!**" He held up his arms in declaring out the next part of a tournament challenge for all the contestants to fight just him. "**Begin The Final Round - OUTCOME!**" He bellowed out the start of this next fight to determine the victor, him or the eight thieves.

Now each side ran to opposite sides where the thieves tried to throw some moves. Kortez's robotic arms however thrown grenades in every direction, which made the gang break off before an explosion. Murray was about to perform his _Thunder Flop_, but Kortez jumped up to join the fun, and both users performed the technique that sent a shockwave that knocked everyone backwards, a bit daze, but fine.

"Bentley, tell me you have another plan to deal with this guy?" Sly asked off in seeing they were not making any new progress against this guy?

"I'm working as fast as I can Sly?" Bentley stated off that he was trying, but needed more time to calculate. "Just…just keep him at bay?" He shuttered off that he needed time and for the others to buy him some.

"I got this! _**Fist Of Flames!**_ HYRruaghhh!" Murray suddenly ignited his _Fist In Flames_, and prepares to clobber the villain.

"MRAAaughh!" But Kortez's gems on his wrist gave him his own flames to fight against Murray's type, as the challengers rushed in to deliver a straight punch.

"POWWfruvhmmm…." And when both fighter's _Fist Of Flames_ clashed, repelled them back with explosive measures.

"_**Whirlwind Attack!**_" Salim soon performed, but Kortez was also performing the same thing. "Fruspvhmmm…BAmgruvhmmm…" And both attacks created a strong push that canceled the other out while both fighters leaped backwards.

"Fruspvhmmm-Fruspvhmm…." Rioichi throws blue shurikens, but so does Kortez…and the attacks canceled the other.

"Tis ludicricy! Every move we make, he counters it with thous own movements?" Sir Galelth exclaimed from using his _Shield Dash_ move, but Kortez brought up his own shield version to counteract it.

"(HRUAaughh!)" Bob took a swing with his cane, but Kortez used his own cane to block before throwing in some grenades from his robotic arms. "(Woah! Time to go!)" Bob yelped and got out of the way in time before the explosion got him.

"_**Crackshot!**_" Tennessee shouted off in taking aim for the guy's weak spots that were glowing. "Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bangvhmm…./BAmgruvhmm!" Just as the raccoon performed his move, the Master of Games repel it with a smilier move from his own cane being a mix with a revolver function. "We're not getting anywhere at this rate?" The cowboy Cooper exclaimed in seeing they aren't getting by like before?

"Keep it together gang!" Sly suddenly used the _Fast Motion_ technique to appear behind Kortez's unsuspecting eye. "CLaspvhmmm…." And while Kortez used his robotic arms as a shield, took Sly's _Charged Cane_ swing. "Looks like he's not fully invincible, since he can't predict my own so much?" Sly saw a spot where the enemy almost lost when he tried to attack, but it'll take more then him to beat this guy now.

"Prediction….That's it?" Bentley slowly repeated what he heard, and then shouted in surprise shock. "Sly, everyone, I figured out a weakness to beating Kortez!" He cried out to the others around in having news to help them.

"What is it pal?" Sly asked off if Bentley finally found an 'Achilles' heel to the villain here.

"If we can confuse Kortez with something he doesn't have memory or the skill to counter, then we can take out the earrings that transmit the memory while shooting off those gem parchment devices on his body." Bentley instructed from typing on his lab top the key points to beating the Master of Games himself…from his source. "If you attack at once, that should cause him to not be so quick to act, and try being more defensive." He instructed the best way to counteract Kortez by confusing him.

"Okay, everyone…time to show this guy what a group of Master Thieves can do?" Sly nods with a smile towards his friend, now they got a plan, and it's time to unleash it.

Now everyone was in agreement, and they gotten themselves ready with the most eagerness.

"All that challenge the Master of Games, shall fall! There is nothing you can't do, that I can do better!" Kortez proclaimed forth in having the ultimate power to conquerer all, and that none can stop him.

But once more, Sly was the one to speak from the crowd.

"Like I mentioned before, Winning…isn't everything? Especially when you end up alone without any allies to back you up." Sly mentioned off how winning isn't all it's crack up to be, and without any supporting allies or friends, Kortez doesn't stand a chance.

Soon everyone was charging forth to attack all at once.

"Even together, you shall not take me down again!" Kortez roared off to take flight with his wings combined with the hover-tech parts.

"Eat some of these!" Bentley exclaimed off from using his robotic arms to throw off a few grenades at the villain, however..."Bam-Bam-Bam!" The grenades exploded around Kortez's robotic arms and his shield to take most of the blow.

"Predictable…hugh?" Kortez smirked off in seeing he saw Bentley's grenades and knew how to block, but something caught his attention by surprise?

"_**Catapult Crash!**_" Sir Galleth's voice was heard from the smoke cloud, as made a move by drawing out his sword when he was dashing upwards. "SLASshvmm…." Suddenly, Galleth charged upwards to slice off the robotic arms of Kortez, and amazingly, break off his shield like nothing?

"GAaugh!"Kortez cried out in pain, he felt that, and that made him angry now. "THruspvhmm-Thruspvhmmm…" Soon he throws in some blue shurikens from the use of his own cane.

"_**Whirlwind Attack!**_" Salim suddenly was preparing his own whirlwind motion to pop up during the attack. "Frushuspvhmm…./BLAShvmmm…." And not only did the whirlwind stop the attack, it reverse the projectiles to hit some of the gems on Kortez's body.

"GRAAaughh!" Kortez cried out again, this time some of the shurikens scratched his earrings. "Bang-Bang-Bangvhmm…" He was already locking on and firing a few rounds from his techo-cane revolver when….

"Stabvhmmm…" Suddenly, Bob stabbed his cane right in the middle of the revolver, and gave a grin against Kortez's rage.

"Bam-bam-Bamvhmm…" And also during the moment, Rioichi thrown his own blue shurikens to counter the shots before Bob helped brought this villain onto ground level from his weight.

"You think you have me!?" Kortez sneered off to finally get the Caveman Cooper off of him, but Bob still held his cane to be jammed in the enemy's cane, so he could not use it. "Hugh?" Suddenly, he saw Murray was charging forth with another _Fist Of Flames_ technique ready. "I still have a spare fist to stop yours!?" The Master of Games declared in only needing one hand to hold his weapon, and the other…for this.

"CLOpovhmm…." And Kortez stopped that punch by trapping it in his free hand grip.

"Too bad you didn't expect this, chump?" Murray bragged off with a sneaky smirk on his face, much to Kortez's puzzling confusion?

Away from Murray's location, was Tennessee that was already about to perform the next step to their plan in taking Kortez down.

"_**Crackshot Technique!**_" Tennessee Kid shouted off the name of his technique to hit all his targets in one round. "Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang!" He fired off his aimed six shots that were all heading right for Kortez that was pinned for the moment. "Bamfruvhmmm…" And every single shot Tennessee fired destroyed each gem stone on the villain's body..with perfect accuracy.

"Gaaugh….?" Kortez cried out while Murray and Bob got away from the guy, his gem stones were destroyed, his earring techs were starting to short out? "NOOOWWaaugh! I can't lose, I can't? I…" He cried off in not seeing this was about to happen to him, it can't, not to him, not after all his planning, he…

Suddenly from the smoke cloud, was Sly rushing with a _Charged Cane_ move. But following him were the the five Coopers of Sly's ancestors, also preparing _Charged Cane_ or _Charge Shot_ moves to inflict on the villain.

"Game Over!?" Sly slyly remarked how he and his ancestor family members soon performed a sync movement; with him below, Bob above, Salim on the top left, Galleth on the top right, Rioichi middle left and Tennessee Kid middle right. This was their finally moment…as great thieves united to stand against the mightiest of foes.

"CLASPfruvhmmm!/BOOMFruvhmmm!" Soon all Coopers landed their best _Charged Cane_ 'Smack-Downs' or big bullet shot techniques all over Kortez that could not even defend against such a maneuver.

"NOOWAAAUUGHhh….." Kortez let off a long scream of being inflicted by a course of agonizing pain that he felt all over. "THRUpsfruvhmmm…." Soon a brighter light shined out from where Kortez's body was enshrouded in before he had fallen on his backside again.

Like before, everyone watched as the light finally died down to show another result in play.

At long last, the state of the situation had finally come to terms…as the villain was defeated. As the entire Cooper Gang & the Cooper Ancestors stood around in once again, staring at the defeated Kortez, the Master of Games. With this guy finally taken down, his source of power cut off, there would be no way he could stand against a large gathered group of great thieves.

"I lose?" Kortez gravely spoke with a heavy sign of defeated agony in being the bear witness….of his lost in his own game.

"POOWFRusvhmmm…." Suddenly, Kortez was enshrouded by a flaky explosive work of electric stunt that blocked him from the other's view.

All that was left of where Kortez once kneeled in defeat, was his amulet that laid on the ground.

"Hmph! I hope to never see that person again?" Salim smudged off to say rudely at the villain's escape route, Kortez's was nothing but trouble to them.

"(You and me both! He was trouble?)" Bob responded in feeling that he agrees on that term alone, the guy was bad news.

"Tis a gloriest day when villainy has vanquish from our sight." Sir Galleth declared boldly forth the manner of their hour.

"Beep-beep-beep!" Suddenly, Bentley's lab top goes off, making him take it out…to see something surprising; which came a smile. "Yes, I got in!" Bentley cheered off in having done something that was apparently, good news.

"What is it Bentley?" Murray asked off his pal in what was this little commotion all about now?

"When Kortez had my tech in use, it allowed itself to have access to his databanks, and I've finally broken his algorithm coding to find this." Bentley explained out the matter which means he managed to finally hack into Kortez's systems, and undercover an interesting piece of data. "Click!" Then the turtle pressed a button on the lab top, and soon waited for the next thing to happen.

"Crucvhmmm…." Suddenly, a hidden piece of the wall was rising up near the group that lead towards….a place with light & songs of birds?

"Ah, a secret passage to freedom of our temporary captive structure? Well done, Bentley-san." Rioichi responded amazed, and thanked Bentley for discovering this way for their need to leave.

"Then what are we standing around here for gawking like buzzard birds choking on their meal? Lets get some fresh air in our lungs?" Tennessee Kid asked off in why they need to stay in this spot any longer when they can finally be in a place where it's not a structure building, but of fresh air.

"Come on gang, lets head out." Sly responded with a smile in feeling the time for this group to leave this tournament hosting spot…behind them.

* * *

**Location: Outside Kortez's Operation?**

**Present Time**

Once they were all heading towards the opened doors, did everyone look around to see no force shields around them. And when Murray ran out without warning, nothing happened to him, and waved for the others to come join him. When the rest were outside, they saw the building they were in was a mansion home designed to have many different attractions, cause it was a studio's abandon amusement park set?

"Now it makes sense? Kortez tricked us to thinking we were in a dimension, and if we touch the glowing shields, be sent back to our own time." Bentley rubbed his chin in having in thought for a moment, how Kortez fooled them into believing where they were staying was real, but in fact…was all stage proof & high-tech technology that keep them in the dark till now.

"Then which time are you saying we are in Bentley?" Sly looked to his smart friend in wondering, where they truly are, or what time for that matter?

"In our timeline Sly, no doubt." Bentley shook his head in not mistaking this place was definitely their time period, and here's why. "This studio was abandon 3 years ago, right here in Paris, France? Hard to believe we were so close to home?" The turtle pointed to the place Kortez was using, yet it looked like it hasn't been of use…on the outside, but insides a different story, not to mention, it was build in the Cooper Gang's natural home area of operation.

"Hey guys, look over here!" Murray spoke off that made everyone look to see the hippo near some stuff by some tent? "Aren't these some of the missing stuff you guys asked about?" When the hippo moved the curtain out of the way, what should be there, then the items Sly's ancestors have been looking for?

"That's my gold and camel, yes!" Salim responded surprised to finally have his camel back, along with his other essentials, even his earned paid gold.

"My trusted steed!" Sir Galleth responded to approach his horse, that shook it's head from feeling the knight thief's touch on his forehead.

"My recipe for sushi?" Rioichi exclaimed from finding a scroll with his seal mark, opened it, and saw the list of his ingredients for making; sushi.

"(Here's my eggs!)" Bob happily declared from holding one out of the many other eggs that were all here.

"Heck, this was the gold I snatched!" Tennessee Kid spoke off from picking his hand through a bag sack of money, and was glad to see it was the stuff he took from them robbers.

Now it looked like everything was gonna be alright after this retrieval; but there was still something else that had to be done…in Sly's case of thinking.

"Hey guys, I wanna say firstly, that I'm sorry? In a way, I almost acted like a jerk?" Sly held up his hand in wanting to offer with his honest to smiling opinion, an apology for how he may have been acting during this tournament.

"Heck, it's no sweet Sly, we all could've ended up like that?" Tennessee Kid smiled off to say while putting his hand out for him to shake Sly's hand in not only accepting the apology, but understanding how anybody could make a mistake like that.

"To true, we were all fooled by that treacherous slime ball of a false host?" Salim exclaimed off with a dry tone about how Kortez tricked them all into becoming apart of this tournament and his plans.

"Tis deception alright, but fear not, that which tricked us is long gone!" Sir Galleth proclaimed forth that while they were deceived, the villain behind it is long gone now.

"Sometimes, when the mountain's snow is broken off from it's top, it shall not let the action disturb it's peace." Rioichi spoke some wise words of wisdom, much of which, didn't seem to have made the others under much of it?

"I might not be the best at understanding such words, but I think that was meant to cheer you up Sly?" Bentley slowly responded to let his pal know that whatever Riocihi meant, was meant to be something to cheer Sly up.

"(Um hugh, and we're okay, that's the important part. Right?)" Bob nods in fully agreeing over everything here, they are all okay and that's what's important.

"Besides Sly, in the end?" Murray spoke off in wanting to state something that happened near the end of this event. "It was your drive to win that saved us all?" The hippo pointed out that if Sly didn't have the urge to win against Kortez, the others would be prisoners in the _Amulet of Sith_ by now.

"Actually, to tell the truth Murray?" Sly spoke off from feeling there was something else he should mention about his 'urge' to win? "When I faced Kortez, I wasn't fighting to win?" He was exclaiming how during his fight against the Master of Games, he wasn't doing it all, just to win against him or be the best in the tournament. "I was fighting for my friends." He issued off in what he was truly fighting for, to save his friends, his family, even with his own life in danger for them.

This was where things were all sounding settled, and nothing could spoil the moment….or would it?

"Frusususuvhmm…." Suddenly, the 5 Cooper Ancestors were glowing all of a sudden right before the others eyes.

"Woah Bentley! Wha-what's happening to these guys?" Murray yelped in suddenly being surprised to see this was happening all to sudden?

"They were taken out of their time lines Murray, and they could only stay here as long as they stayed inside Kortez's hideaway?" Bentley explained the scientific matter of keeping those from the past here in their present time, was only done by such tech in the first place while keeping time from falling apart with their leave. "But now that we're all outside, time is finally catching up to correct the anomaly by putting each of Sly's ancestors back where they belong." He exclaimed the conclusive fact, that now that they are out of what kept each of Sly's ancestors here, what would have kept them around is now correctly preparing to send these five back where they each belong and when they last left off.

"Well, at least it was nice seeing more of my other family members at least?" Sly smiled off to say this matter while looking at his ancestors once more. "I hope you get back to whatever it was you were doing?" He asked off in hoping whatever each of these five Coopers were doing before Kortez took them at that time's action, will be fixed.

"Do not fear, time & fate, will return us to our order, without fail." Rioichi nods and clasps his hands together in bowing to Sly in stating, they will be fine.

"Shot, and don't think this means we'll forget this other adventure we had together?" Tennessee Kid responded off with a cocky grin about never forgetting this little adventure they had.

"(It was another wild excitement I almost don't think to see again for a million years to pass?)" Bob exclaimed from knowing that excitement that advance, won't be seen around in his prehistoric time period.

"Our quested journey may end here, but our hearts shall be connected none the less, my fine worth friend." Sir Galleth held his left hand to his chest in declaring forth that even if this event that had them brought together has ended, they shall never truly forget one another.

"Very true, even in retirement, the unexpected adventures may just be the things to pass the boredom from time to time?" Salim shrug off his shoulders in feeling this was the sorta thing to help keep the elderly raccoon active whenever he wants a little excitement now and then…but not 'too' much.

"Thanks, see ya!" Sly smiled for the comments before giving a farewell wave with his cane to all his ancestors.

"TRuspoovhmmm…." Soon all five of Sly's ancestors vanished in the bright vortex of time that closed around them…but not before they each waved off goodbye with their respective family canes. It would be clear that Rioichi Cooper would return to Feudal Japan in circa 1600 AD, Tennessee Kid Cooper in Western United States in circa 1884, Caveman "Bob" Cooper in Gungathal Valley in the year 10,000 B.C., Sir Galleth Cooper in Medieval Age in circa 1300 AD, and even Salim Al Kupar in Arabia in circa 1001 AD.

"Well Sly, we better start calling for a pickup?" Bentley suggested what they do next at seeing where they are. "Though I wonder how we'll get around without exposing ourselves as wanted criminals?" The turtle knew that getting back to their hideout wouldn't be easy cause many folks would watch out for the Cooper Gang, wanted on Interpol's list.

"Relax, a little disguise & with some aid from Dimitri, we'll manage it like always." Sly responded with an 'okay' expression that he's got it all under control; they wear fake disguises, get Dimitri to drive their van here, piece of cake.

"Disguises are one thing, but having Dimitri around the wheel of our ride, it sounds almost like what happened the first time we left him in charge of our hideout?" Bentley raised an eyebrow in reminding Sly the time they left Dimitri to be in charge of their hideout, it would be the last time they do that, even on the guy's first time?

"Yeah, I'm guessing it'll be something like that? But then afterwards, Murray can take over." Sly shrug off his shoulders in expressing the point about what happened in the past, with Dimitri being in charge kinda way.

"Hey Sly, you still got that amulet "whats' it" thing?" Murray suddenly asked off something that's been puzzling him, did they steal anything during this time, namely what Kortez had?

"Right here pal." Sly responded with an okay expression, as he held the very thing the Cooper Clan has been wanting to hid away from anyone's eyes; the _Amulet of Sith_ itself.

"Well at least we came out with something, and we can definitely put this thing somewhere NO one, will find it under our keep." Bentley stated off with a serious face about keeping this amulet under lock and key, so no one else would get their hands on something this dangerous again.

"So, what are ya gonna do with it Sly? Think that Kortez guy will try to claim it?" Murray asked his raccoon pal if he had other plans for the amulet, other then hiding it if the villain they beaten comes looking for it.

"Even if he didn't, he used technology & magic to forge replicas to sale on the black market, I checked his data in learning what he do in pricing off ways other folks could get skills without training effort." Bentley explained off that Kortez was planning something big for the black market, creating special amulets that would take those with great skills and auction it off to the highest bidder.

"So you think he'll try and start another tournament to lure in more victims like what he tried with us?" Sly raised an eyebrow in guessing they have to stop Kortez again before he can getaway with this act?

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that?" Bentley responded with a hidden agenda on his face that kept a certain 'secret' about this situation. "He may have escaped, but I've rewritten something in his program to pack a few…'surprises' while leaving him perfectly awaiting to be captured." The turtle clapped his fingers together to tap in feeling very confident that if Kortez does bring in new players, he'll be given a surprise he'll never forget.

"Oh boy, sounds like you thought up some devious little scheme there, Bentley pal?" Murray responded in seeing that his turtle pal has come up with something very sneaky, and that it'll blow up in the bad guy's face.

"You know, I get the feeling we should stick around here for 'just' a little longer?" Sly stated with a strange sense of a smile in catching on what Bentley had planned. "Call it a hunch, in what Bentley's got going on, might just happen sooner then we think?" The raccoon exclaimed in having a good feeling, they don't wanna miss out in what to expect before leaving the scene.

Bentley & Murray were unsure what Sly meant by that, but they decided to follow along what he was thinking could be…of interest?

* * *

Things seem quiet after leaving the area of where Kortez held his hidden tournament. With much of Sly's 5 ancestors returned to their own time, items & all, it was now the present Cooper Gang's turn that left the scene. Looked like nothing would happen in this quiet place….or would it be quiet for long?

"POOWfrusvhmmm…." Suddenly, new bolts of lightning struck the ground that created flame clouds that surrounded the area? "FRuspvhmmm…" And just then, when it all faded away, the only thing standing in that spot where the lightning and exploded flames were…females? One of which was Carmelita Fox, Inspector of Interpol.

And near the inspector was someone she recognized right away. This one was an anthropomorphic Dutch Mouse with light violet fur, tan-orange long hair and worn the same color for her visor glasses over her tan-brown eyes. She had a pretty decent body figure while wearing a yellow suit with black lining, a belt, shoes and gloves, had a gold earring on her left ear and wore a red bandanna on her head to cover the hair, mostly while a little of it came off the front in a comb style. This person was none other then Penelope, someone who has skills in multiple fields of technology, including piloting, using remote-controlled devices, and machinery. She's also capable of using disguises to get through certain bumps in the road. However, she does not have much in terms of physical abilities that have made her a potentially easy target when out in the field. A long time ago, she came off as a nice and outgoing girl, dedicated & loyal to her new-found friends from being a member of the Cooper Gang, eagerly supporting them whenever they needed help. She even fell in love with Bentley, as they both shared interest for being super smart geniuses. But during some point, her life changed to gain a different personality were she shows more aggressive & angry side to herself, and also becoming surprisingly cruel & gained a dark sense of humor. But at this point, her true personality of her true character is a mystery, even how she obtained her skills is a complete mystery, as who Penelope really is maybe unknown for quite some time? And now, this mouse sees someone she knows that was right next to her…and both went into some defensive position.

"Penelope! What are you doing here?" Carmelita Fox asked off in remembering this mouse girl, and some of the things…are not on a friendly basis?

"How should I know, I just suddenly got transported here?" Penelope exclaimed in her own defense in not knowing what was happening nether?

"Wait just a second, did you disappear by some strange flash of light? Like I was?" Carmelita suddenly stopped what would have become an augment in trying to put some pieces together of what was going on here and about their arrival.

"Yeah, right as I was working? Why?" Penelope responded a bit confused, knowing that what she was doing got interrupted by whatever got Carmelita and the other females in the room?

"Cause that's what happened to Sly, Murray, and Bentley?" Carmelita issued off in knowing that whatever brought them here, also got the three men they knew in their lives.

"Wait…Bentley? What happened to him?" Penelope asked off in becoming a bit concern about the turtle she knows….and still has possibly a caring side for?

"I don't know, but someone better start answering?" Carmelita shook her head in not knowing, but was starting to get antsy about wanting someone to spill the beans here.

"Then you have a few choices?" Penelope exclaimed from looking around, there was more then just these two girls in the room, there was a total of eight people here; all females.

As everyone around was lost and confused, something soon happened during this that was vaguely…familiar of an act?

"**Welcome! Champions & All!**" A voice called out in welcoming this group of females that looked upwards towards something…or someone? "You are hereby invited to compete…." The voice was announcing forth an invitation for those that were puzzled, to take part in something.

And just above a familiar alter path of stairs, with his hands on his waist….was Kortez!? Somehow, during his so-called 'retreat' moment, the Master fog Games somehow returned to his sanctuary, and for that reason…was this happening here?

"**In the Tournament…Of Amazons!**" Kortez declared off the title for this tournament shall be that which only females will compete against another to end up being…the victor.

"Yo Penelope?" Carmelita spoke off towards the mouse girl in seeing she was the closest to someone she knew and had some….unpleasant look on her face.

"Yeah?" Penelope responded a bit bizarre about this whole situation, but decided to hear out what the inspector had to say?

"I have a strange feeling about all of this?" Carmelita responded in not sure about herself, but something about this tournament & their host bringing them here…didn't seem okay with her?

"DUmmvhmm…." Suddenly, the systems in the chamber were flinching a bit, the lights dim for a bit while leaving many in the dark in utter confusion?

"Wha…what's happening? This isn't apart of my event?" Kortez yelped from looking around completely puzzled and confused, this wasn't apart of his set up performance? Just what was going on here, what was happening that he had no control over?

"Trisuvhmm…." Suddenly, a holographic imagine of a familiar turtle appeared for all to see.

"Bentley?" Carmelita & Penelope responded in almost instantly knowing their turtle friend from the Cooper Gang; Bentley.

"Attention contests! If you're here, watching this recording, then you must be ware of your host?" Bentley spoke off in trying to alert the new eight contestants, of an evil plot in the mix. "Kortez is really Korean Tezzler, a criminal that wants to keep you captive & take your skills as his own while forging amulets to contain them to sale in the black market." This piece of news got a lot of the females attentions in gasping in surprise shock, they were about to be used as genie pigs? "We just escaped his trap, but he maybe abducting more contestants to sucker in his plans after robbing a studio of all it's stage sets to pull off his 'fake' special effects, and here's proof!" Bentley's image head had explained off all the stuff Kortez had been scheming to pull, and even had a way to unveil the villain's crime….now!

"Beep-beep-beep!/KABOOM!" Some beeping was shown off of the Master of Games' amulet, just before without warning, it exploded; it was rigged to explode? "Gaugh! My other amulet?" Kortez yelped from when the new amulet he wore exploded suddenly before his eyes.

"So without further delay, I start taking on this guy, now that he can't use his amulet or any of his tech to protect himself?" Bentley instructed on what those in the room should do about now, get the Master of Games before he has time to recover. "Bentley out." The turtle gave a farewell wave to those seeing and hearing him out.

"TRusovhmmm…" Soon the turtle's image vanished from the spot, and things were brighten up a bit. But things did not look so good where all upset eyes gazed at Kortez, from learning of his evil plot.

"Wait….it's all false! I was not going to trick you, I…?" Kortez held up his hands to try and keep the situation under control, or else he'll lose his next shot of having another tournament & getting new skills from these contestants.

"Buddy, you just made a couple of BIG Mistakes on your list?" Carmelita spoke first in grabbing her _Shock Pistol_ to start walking up the alter stairs. "First, was stealing from a studio's entire set works. Second, abducting people to fight in this tournament to gain you some amusement. And Thirdly…choosing to make me…be apart of it?" The fox lady was hammering all these charges against Kortez for the crimes he just commented and were busted for, and secretly in Carmelita's mind, for taking Sly Cooper & his gang to be apart of it.

"I…I can explain? I'm the Master of Games; Kortez, I'm…?" Kortez tried to reason with the inspector of Interpol, as Carmelita was now a few lower step inches away from him…and he had no defense to fight or escape with.

"About to get a lot of _Shock Pistol_ shots all over you?" Carmelita cut between this villain's statement of his own defense, and aimed her _Shock Pistol_ to take aim with a fully charged load.

"POW-POW-POWVhm!/Dziizizivhmmmmm…./GAAAAAAaughhhhh !" Outside the chamber room & the building were flashes of light, followed by screams of painful agony. It doesn't take a genius to know where this will be going now?

* * *

**The Follow Up Note?**

At this moment, the scene shows the outside part of the building of the Master of Games, just before Kortez was seen blasted out in an electric blaze with a look of horror over his face?

"_So afterwards, my gang and I saw what happened after the little light show?_" Sly narrates from where an event is taking place, and he's telling the story of how it happened. "_Kortez got beaten and caught by none other then Carmelita Fox herself._" The scene shows Kortez lying on the ground, beaten, and with Carmelita pressing her boot on the villain with her _Shock Pistol_ in hand…looking cool in taking down the bad guy. "_And while it was good seeing her bust the villain behind this, and be rewarded for the finding of stolen studio stuff, I knew she wouldn't feel all the credit goes to her? Since of course…me and my gang already did the first labor work._" From afar within the trees, we see the Sly Cooper Gang keeping out of sight while seeing the events that have just happened. "_Afterwards, Interpol had covered the entire place while getting the other new female contestants that were either criminal or law-fighters out of the place._" It wasn't long before the scene shows lots of police cars driving up, flashing lights and all trying to control the situation at hand while Carmelita was explaining things to her fellow officers. "_But of course, me, Bentley and Murray, we hid it out with the near back alleys._" Sly stated from where he and his gang hid was in a back alley, as they slipped in through the shadows to escape the crime that had just gone down.

Now the scene shows us where at the Safe House of the Cooper Gang, as Bentley was turning on his lab top to show Sly & Murray nearby…some pictures.

"_We later found out that each of my ancestors were back in their own time periods, doing where they left off._" Sly narrated off in telling that from Bentley's side of his genius work, managed to learn that his different ancestors were alive and fine, this time in the more truthful matter of speaking.

The first image shows the events happening with Rioichi Cooper, where he left off.

"_Rioichi went off to perform a thief against some evil shogun in his time before returning to his restaurant._" Sly narrated off in where his ninja ancestor was now heading off to do good and take down a villain.

The next image shows the events happening with 'Tennessee Kid' Cooper, where he left off.

"_Tennessee managed to rob the money from the robbers he took into his account, which he felt proud of._" Sly narrated off in where his western ancestor was taking the money he robbed from robbers to be added in his stash.

The third image shows the events happening with Caveman "Bob" Cooper, where he left off.

"_Bob managed to help provide the eggs to his tribe to help them out._" Sly narrated off in where his prehistoric ancestor was providing eggs for his tribe to help them from going hungry in the winter times.

The fourth image shows the events happening with Sir Galleth Cooper, where he left off.

"_Sir Galleth managed to help stop a mining operation for diamonds that some crooks wanted, so his band of the Cooper Order managed to take care of it._" Sly narrated off in what his knight ancestor was doing, as the guy lead his own band of knights that took down evil miners taking diamonds from it's kingdom.

The fifth to final image shows the events happening with Salim Al Kupar, where he left off.

"_Even Salim retuned to his retirement life with just selling his snacks while riding on his camel, go figure._" Sly narrated off in what his arabian ancestor was doing, relaxing on his camel while continuing to make a living of selling off his snacks.

Now things change over to another matter at hand here, where images of symbols bearing similarity to a certain mouse feature…where seen inside Kortez's old hideaway.

"_Bentley was working out what happened to one person in particular that was last seen appearing in Kortez's tournament; Penelope?_" Sly narrated this part about what caught his team's attention in focusing on an 'old'…friend. "_The rest of us learned from Interpol's report from Carmelita, that she was there, but managed to escape…and leave her mark after taking Kortez's tech, which of course, Bentley got a picture of as some 'calling card' of hers? That's another mystery that will need to be solved…one day?_" To Sly, the mystery behind if Penelope was still their friend or not, would be left to debate, but it's clear that Bentley is her target…of some form of affection or to taunt the turtle?

The next image shows Murray finding a familiar bag that was transported through time, and had his familiar burger meal inside?

"_Murray was happily enjoying his left-over burger that Bentley sent back to our hideaway? Though while the guy was happy, me and Bentley were still unsure if he should be eating something in which time couldn't tell us how old that meal was?_" As Murray was eating, Sly and Bentley raised eyebrows in thinking that eating such a meal that was old…was kinda unusual? "_But then afterwards, Murray worked hard in racing the van to earn some money, the honest way, to buy a new turbo engine part for it._" Then an image shows the hippo going into races with the Cooper Van, trying to win to earn prize money to buy something for the team's van. Which was something he thought he get as a tournament prize from Kortez, but that was not gonna happen, so he's doing it his way.

Now the image scene focuses more on Dimitri, looking relax in a beach theme setup with women around him.

"_Dimitri was very pleased that we helped solve the mystery of the missing studio equipment, that his show was back on the air._" Sly narrated off about what was going on with Dimitri, who seemed to be pretty happy with himself now. "_He sends us a few post cards in telling us how his show life is still doing while still being an ever available Cooper member to our gang._" The screen zooms away to show a post card with Dimitri saying some 'hellos' to the gang and 'wishing they were here' and 'see ya around next time', kinda chatter message.

Now we focus on a scene of a jail with a new cell mate; the former Master of Games; Kortez, wearing his prison uniform.

"_Kortez was sentence to 30 years in Heathrow Prison, for many crimes. Thief of studio equipment, operating an abandon amusement park set without a incense, breaking the laws of time to take people out of time, and merchandizing illegal profits in the Black Market, using technology & magic in many ways, too much to say, and then some._" Sly's narrated voice was explaining the contents of what was happening to Kortez, and how he'll be living a hard life behind bars. "_But he would be given a lighter sentence for good behavior, especially since now what he does in his free time….is play some Dungeons & Dragons with some fellow inmates while also doing community service of helping create some board games._" The next image shows him playing his favorite game while helping to create other or new board games to help be sold off to other folks.

The next scene shows a volcano where Sly stood over it with a familiar amulet he dangled over the boiling lava.

"_Plus, when we had the Amulet of Sith, my ancestors heard of legends and kept it hidden from the world, so it would never fall into the wrong hands._" Sly's narrated voice explained what he was planning to do with such a dangerous amulet in his hands. "_But for me, there was only one true way to put an end to this; by destroying what caused my family such trouble even now._" Then we see the raccoon open his grip hand to let the amulet slip off, and fall directly below…where the lava was. "_So performing a stunt at a nearby volcano my gang and I were passing by, watched as the amulet of magic and mystery…finally cease to exist and meant another quiet moment for many of us talented folks, especially thieves._" We see the Cooper Gang leaving, all while the mystic item; the _Amulet of Sith_, get swallowed to melt & burn to ashes, and to never bring harm to anyone again.

And now during the full moon with plenty of stars, we see Sly Cooper approaching himself to leap onto a balcony.

"_And what am I doing about now, well I think that would be obvious? I had to keep with my raincheck of a date with a 'certain' Inspector Fox?_" On Sly's narrated voice statement, before the raccoon was Carmelita Fox, looking like she was dressed for a certain occasion, and in truth, so was Sly. "_Carmelita and I decided to spend our next 'quality' time where it was the two of us, no work from either of our side careers, no disasters happening, just a quiet night under the full moon's starry night skies._" Sly's narrative voice instructed to the viewers before he and Carmelita turned to leave the building in question to walk under the starry night sky.

Soon the imagine focused closely at Sly Cooper, wondering….if this adventure mark the end for him, or…

"_But hay, you never can tell, what 'other' adventures I'll have till then?_" Sly suddenly turn around to give us audience viewers a 'secret' wink from when his narrative voice explained, signal that the fun times….aren't gonna be the end for this Cooper.

**THE END!?**

* * *

**VISION NOTE:** The stuff of Kortez using all stolen skills to increase their properties could be seen as how stronger they can be when put together. And when Sly Cooper & his five ancestors did it, it really brought in a new level of an interesting finality clash finisher in defeating a majorly final enemy in such an adventure.

There's a little reference to Dimitri once being in charge of the Cooper Gan's hideout, as a special preparation trailer for the 4th Sly Cooper game in being prepared.

I've added a scene from Lord Of The Rings conclusion of where they dropped the ring in a volcano to destroy it, as a nice touch for an amulet that Sly Cooper saw as a dangerous item that had to be dealt with before it causes trouble in the future, etc.

**VISION-ANNOUNCEMENT:** Well now I've completed this interesting story, hope many Sly Cooper fans enjoyed it. And now, the VISION-KING, will continue on my original story to be posted along with returning to my other story track. So for many that waited for my Subspace Emissary to be continued, it's gonna be back on schedule. And for my next new story, well, it'll star other characters to catch much attention? From the reckless acts of the Freelance Police, the vigilante works of the green masked menace, The MASK, to even add in extra characters from American Dragon: Jake Long, all in an Action Man package deal. But for now, just enjoy this completed work, and look forward to my next work. Heck, I'll even plan another Sly Cooper story (Short Version) to involve the raccoon in another CROSSOVER plot to drive more thrills in our minds & hearts. So till then, enjoy what's present before you.


End file.
